Vancouver, B.C. - The Pantages Theatre is a well known landmark located off of one of Vancouver's main drags, Hastings. Built, by Alexander Pantages, the Vancouver Pantages is the oldest surviving theatre in Vancouver according to the Heritage Vancouver Society.
Pantages Theatre (Demolished)
Vancouver, B.C. Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Standing along East Hastings Street, the grand old Pantages Theatre looked like it had a thousand stories to tell. Even after years of sitting dark, the ornate brick facade and elegant arched windows made it easy to imagine the crowds that once gathered beneath its entrance for an evening of vaudeville or the latest motion picture. It wasn't just another old theater. It was one of those buildings that made you stop, stare, and wonder what it must have been like in its heyday. 06-11
The Pantages opened in 1908 as part of Alexander Pantages' growing vaudeville empire and eventually earned the distinction of being the oldest surviving Pantages Theatre in North America. Over the years, famous performers including Charlie Chaplin and Harry Houdini appeared on its stage before changing tastes transformed it into a movie theater. It remained in operation until 1994, closing after nearly nine decades of entertaining Vancouver audiences.
The years that followed were filled with uncertainty. Preservation groups like the Pantages Theatre Arts Society worked tirelessly to save the theater, believing it could once again become a vibrant performance venue and an anchor for the neighborhood. As the building continued to deteriorate, the debate over its future became one of Vancouver's best-known preservation battles. In the end, demolition was approved, and workers carefully dismantled the theater brick by brick in 2011.
For those lucky enough to have seen it before it disappeared, the Pantages was much more than an old building. It was a reminder of when downtown Vancouver was lined with grand theaters, glowing marquees, and bustling sidewalks filled with theatergoers.
UPDATE: The Pantages Theatre was demolished in 2011, and the site has since been redeveloped. 07-26
Pantages Theatre (Demolished)
