Early Fargo "theaters" were typical of western frontier towns. The Reynold's Variety House, for example, on Front Street near the river had a bar in front with a stage in back for "girlie" shows. Most such establishments closed or moved to Moorhead when North Dakota adopted a prohibition against liquor in 1889. Fargo's theaters are discussed in rough chronological order below. Those whose name is highlighted in blue have their own web page which you can reach by clicking on the name. Those without their own pages are those for which I have no picture. If you have one of the missing pictures, please email me.

Pinkham's Hall was located at the corner of Front and Fifth Streets and was used for a wide variety of purposes, including school church services, and theater. Egbert's Hall was built by Capt. George Egbert about the same time at what is now Front and Fifth Streets. Shea's Variety Hall was similar and was as much a saloon as a theater. Many of the "variety theater" featured a stage for ribald comedians, dancing girls, and other acts with the audience seated at tables and chairs where they were served food and (mostly) drink. Some theaters had box seats along the side for more wealthy or exclusive clientele.

Coliseum: The first vaudeville theater in Fargo, the Coliseum was built in 1880 by Messrs. Reynolds and McCauley. It was located at NP venue and Fifth Street North. One Fargo newspaper reporter described the establishment as a combination "theater, brothel, and salon."Other vaudeville theaters built around this time were the First Store Theater (located on NP Avenuen where the Metropole Hotel was later to be built) , the Second Store Theater, the Star Theater, the Odeon (located on Front Street and Second Street), and the Owl Theater. I don't know much about these or even where somewere located.

McHench Hall: Built in 1880, this was the first formal theater in Fargo. It was a small theater and located on the second floor of a building at the corner of Front and Fifth Streets. It had a formal stage and a drop curtain.

Chapin Hall: Chapin Hall was built in 1878, 1880 or 1881 (stories vary) by J.B. Chapin on the second floor of the building on the corner of Broadway and NP Avenue. It became known as the Opera House in 1883 and largely supplanted McHench Hall as Fargo's major theater.

Second Opera House: Fargo's second Opera House, was located on southeast corner of Second Avenue North and Roberts Street. It was built in 1893 just after the fire of that year and it, too, was destroyed by fire in 1912 and never replaced.

Bijou: The first moving picture theater in Fargo, the Bijou, opened April 1906.

Grand: The Grand opened in 1906 at 622 1st Avenue North.

Palm: I don't know anything about the Palm Theater except that it existed around 1910.

Ideal: The Ideal Theater (at 115 Broadway) opened in 1906 and seated 400. Nerhaugen's Union Orchestra played there and the theater advertised itself as a "family theater." The name of the Ideal was changed to the Savoy when it was sold in 1910. In 1911, the theater advertised singing, comedy and drama vaudeville acts. W.C. Clavier took over the Savoy in 1913 and in 1914, after the war broke out, he changed the name of the theater to the Liberty. The theater was destroyed by fire on May 6, 1923.

Orpheum: Opened in 1911 at 611 NP Avenue.

Grant: George Webster managed the Grant Theater in the 1910's. It was a "legitimate" theater with a five-piece female orchestra.

Isis: The Isis opened in 1913 at 218 Broadway. I believe that the theater burned in the 1950's and never reopened.

Princess: The Princess Theater (located at 415 NP Avenue) opened in 1914.

Little Country Theater: Founded by Alfred G. Arvold at NDAC/NDSU on February 10, 1914. Still in operation, but no longer located in the University's Old Main building where it started.

Strand: The Strand Theater was located at 309 Broadway. It opened on March 29,1915 and burned down in 1923.

State: The State Theater (located at 508 NP Avenue) was built in 1921. Name later changed to the Towne Theater.

Garrick: The Garrick was a movie theater located at 106 Broadway. I am not sure of its dates.

Fargo: Construction began on the Fargo theater on September 15, 1925. Located at 314 Broadway, formerly the site of a fruit store known as the Idlekope Building, the theater took six months for completion. In the 1980's the theater was restored to its original glory. It is the area's only remaining vintage movie palace with a vaudeville stage. The theater serves as a multipurpose facility with capacity for film showings, live productions and meetings, and is a registered historic landmark. It also houses a restored theater pipe organ, the "Mighty Wurlitzer." See their web site for more information and history. I remember the theater from the 50's and 60's. It was the best theater in town. I usually sat in the balcony and probably saw a movie there almost every week.

Roxy: Located at 117 Broadway, opened March 7, 1932. In 1977, it was the Broadway Theater.

Park: 504 Front Street. Gone by the mid-1950's. Movie theater.

Star Lite Drive-in: Fargo's one drive-in theater. The Star Lite opened June 8, 1949 and closed on July 17, 1981.

Fargo-Moorhead Community Theater: Located at 334 4th Street SW, this 372-seat theater presents seven main stage productions, a children's musical and a senior adult musical revue every year between September and June.

Lark: The Lark was a movie theater located at 630 1st Avenue. It opened in 1970 and seated 600. It closed November 10, 1983 after the 9:25pm showing of "The Prodigal." It went out of business partially because of the trend toward smaller theaters. At some point after it closed, the theatre was given as a gift to the Red River Dance and Performing Company which later sold it to Jerry Lucas and Bob Davis of Long Prairie, MN. For a brief period, housed an indoor golf practice facility in the early 1990s. The theater was later occupied by the Fargo Cinema Grill (see below).

CEC - West Acres 14: In 1983, Cinema Entertainment Corporation announced plans to build a six-screen complex near West Acres. They bought out Moorhead's Moon*Lite drive-in, as well as several downtown theaters. It's a multiplex located at 4101 17th Avenue SW at the West Acres Regional Shopping Center.

Fargo Cinema Grill: Opening in April 1997, the theater was located at 630 1st Avenue, former location of the Lark Theater. The theater closed on May 31, 2001.

Extreme Cinema - Century 10 : Located at 3931 9th Avenue South, one of the few "IWERKS" screens in the region, this state-of-the-art theater presents breathtaking films that take audiences to extreme places such as Mount Everest. It opened in October 2000.