Ideal Theatre
Clare, MI Photo courtesy Alan Culley
A drive through downtown Clare isn't complete without spotting the Ideal Theatre and its glowing marquee. It's the kind of classic neighborhood movie house that gives a downtown a little extra personality, and it's still showing first-run movies today. 12-08
The theater opened in 1930 after owner John Asline outgrew his earlier Princess Theatre. A neon marquee was added a few years later, giving the building the look that has become a familiar downtown landmark.
Like many small-town theaters, the Ideal faced an uncertain future and closed during the pandemic. Thankfully, three local sisters stepped in to save it, restoring both the building and its iconic marquee before reopening the theater in 2023.
UPDATE: The Ideal Theatre continues to serve downtown Clare with first-run movies, and its restored neon marquee once again lights up the street. 07-26
Rialto Theatre
Grayling, MI Photo courtesy Alan Culley
Movie theaters like the Rialto Theatre are becoming harder to find, especially ones that have been entertaining the same town for more than a century. Standing along Michigan Avenue in downtown Grayling, it's still showing first-run movies just as it has for generations. 12-08
The Rialto began life in 1915 after the old Grayling Opera House was converted into a movie theater. A devastating fire destroyed the building in 1930, but it was rebuilt almost immediately with the Art Deco look that still defines its exterior today.
Even more remarkable is that the theater has remained in the same family ever since. While countless neighborhood theaters have disappeared over the years, the Rialto continues to welcome audiences beneath the same familiar facade that has been part of downtown Grayling for nearly a century.
UPDATE: The Rialto Theatre remains open as one of America's oldest continuously family-owned movie theaters, still showing first-run films in downtown Grayling. 07-26
Marquis Theatre
Northville, MI Photo courtesy Mark Comstock
This is the Marquis Theatre in Northville, MI. It is located at 135 East Main Street. This Theatre opened in 1925 as the Penniman-Allen Theatre. It originally served as an opera house and then a vaudeville house before showing movies. The name was changed to the Marquis Theatre in 1972 and the theatre was renovated in 1978 to a performing arts center. Many thanks to Mark Comstock for info. 12-08
The glowing marquee of the Marquis Theatre has been lighting up Main Street in downtown Northville for nearly a century. It's the kind of theater that immediately catches your attention and makes you slow down for a second look. Buildings like this have a way of giving a downtown its personality, reminding you of a time when every community had a neighborhood theater at the center of town. 12-08
In the early 1970s the theater became the Marquis Theatre, beginning a new chapter that eventually shifted its focus from movies to live performances. Children's theater, community productions, concerts, and special events have helped keep the old building full of life while preserving much of its historic character. Rather than becoming another vacant downtown relic, the Marquis has continued doing what it was built to do—bring people together for an evening of entertainment.
Marquis Theatre
Northville, MI Photo courtesy Mark Comstock
Like many theaters of its era, the Marquis has survived changing tastes, economic ups and downs, and even a damaging fire in 2003. Thanks to restoration efforts over the years, it remains one of the most recognizable buildings in downtown Northville. Standing beneath the marquee today, it's easy to picture the countless moviegoers, performers, and families who have walked through these doors over the last hundred years.
UPDATE: The Marquis Theatre is temporarily closed while undergoing interior renovations and repairs as it prepares to celebrate its 100th anniversary. The work is expected to ensure this downtown landmark continues entertaining audiences for years to come. 07-26
Family Theatre
East Tawas, MI Photo courtesy Alan Culley
At first glance, the Family Theatre sign looks like any other vintage movie theater marquee. The Family Theatre sign in East Tawas appears to have been a theatre by a different name at one time as the neon tube holes don't really match the letters and the 'Family' lettering looks newer. Many thanks to Alan Culley for info. 12-08
The theater opened in 1910 as the Panoramic Theatre before becoming the Family Theatre in the 1930s. Instead of replacing the entire sign, the new name appears to have been fitted onto the existing framework, leaving behind clues to its earlier history.
More than a century after opening, the theater is still showing first-run movies in downtown East Tawas. It's another great example of an old neighborhood theater that continues to do what it was built to do.
UPDATE: The Family Theatre remains open as a locally owned movie theater, and its vintage sign still carries subtle evidence of its earlier identity. 07-26
Ohio Theatre
Madison, IN Photo courtesy Alan Culley
The bright marquee of the Ohio Theatre has been welcoming moviegoers to downtown Madison for generations. When this photo was taken, Indiana Jones was playing, proving that even a classic theater can still be the place to catch the latest blockbuster. 12-08
The theater traces its roots to an earlier movie house known as the Little Grand Theatre, which was destroyed by fire before the Ohio Theatre opened in 1938. Since then, it has become a familiar landmark along Main Street and even hosted the 1958 premiere of Some Came Running, the Hollywood film starring Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Shirley MacLaine that was filmed in and around Madison.
The Ohio closed for a short time during the 1990s before reopening in 1996, and thanks to continued preservation efforts, it remains an important part of the community. Today it's still entertaining audiences with movies, concerts, and special events beneath the same classic marquee.
UPDATE: The Ohio Theatre continues to operate as a community arts and entertainment venue. Following restoration work after a 2018 fire, the historic theater remains one of downtown Madison's best-known landmarks. 07-26
Plaza Theatre
Glasgow, KY Photo courtesy Alan Culley
The bright marquee of the Plaza Theatre has been turning heads in downtown Glasgow for generations. It's the kind of theater that makes you wonder what Main Street must have looked like on a Saturday night when the sidewalks were full and the latest movie was about to begin. Even today, it remains one of the city's most recognizable landmarks. 12-08
The Plaza was an ambitious project from the very beginning. Construction started in 1930, but with the Great Depression underway, progress slowed to a crawl. It took four years before the theater finally opened its doors in August 1934, welcoming a sold-out crowd that had waited a long time to see Glasgow's newest movie palace.
Plaza Theatre
Glasgow, KY Photo courtesy Alan Culley
Like so many neighborhood theaters, the Plaza eventually fell on hard times and closed during the 1990s. For a while, its future looked uncertain, but the City of Glasgow stepped in and purchased the building in 2001 before it could be lost. After an extensive restoration, the theater returned to life with its grand interior and beautiful marquee once again welcoming visitors downtown.
Today, the Plaza is no longer just a movie theater. Concerts, plays, classic films, and community events have given the old building a new purpose while preserving the character that has made it a downtown landmark for more than 90 years.
There's something satisfying about seeing an old theater like this still standing. It reminds you that some of the best roadside discoveries aren't abandoned at all—they're still making memories under the same glowing marquee that first lit up Main Street generations ago.
UPDATE: The Plaza Theatre continues to thrive as Glasgow's historic performing arts venue, with its beautifully restored marquee remaining one of downtown's signature sights. 07-26
Ideal Theatre
Rialto Theatre
Marquis Theatre
Marquis Theatre
Family Theatre
Ohio Theatre
Plaza Theatre
Plaza Theatre
