Laurelhurst Theatre
Portland, OR
Photo courtesy Jeff Raber

The neon blade sign at the Laurelhurst Theatre has been drawing moviegoers to the corner of Burnside and 28th for generations. It's one of Portland's classic neighborhood theaters, and thankfully it still looks right at home along the street.

The Laurelhurst opened in 1923 as a single-screen movie house before eventually expanding into four screens. While it was once famous as a bargain second-run theater, these days you'll find a mix of first-run releases, independent films, classics, and special screenings. Grab some pizza, a locally brewed beer, and settle in for a movie.

Best of all, the beautiful Art Deco marquee continues to light up the neighborhood, making the Laurelhurst one of Portland's most recognizable theater landmarks.

UPDATE: The Laurelhurst Theatre remains open as an independent neighborhood cinema, with its classic neon sign still glowing over East Burnside. 07-26

Stanley Theatre
Vancouver B.C.
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

The Stanley Theatre gives South Granville a theater landmark worth looking up for. Its vertical sign and classic marquee still announce an evening’s entertainment, although the attraction inside has changed considerably since the days of Hollywood double features. 03-06

The Stanley opened on December 15, 1930, with Lillian Gish in One Romantic Night. Despite its stage facilities, it began as a movie house rather than a vaudeville theater. Movies continued until 1991, followed by several uncertain years before restoration brought the building back as an Arts Club venue in 1998.

UPDATE: The Stanley continues hosting live productions for the Arts Club Theatre Company. The old movie house found a second act without losing the familiar frontage that makes it such a pleasure to spot along Granville Street. 07-26

Rialto Theatre
Tacoma, WA
Photos courtesy Gorb70

The Rialto Theatre brings a little movie palace elegance to downtown Tacoma. Its handsome facade rewards a closer look, especially when you remember this was built to make an ordinary trip to the movies feel like something special. 02-07

Designed by architect Roland Borhek, the Rialto opened on September 7, 1918. Its Beaux Arts styling gave moviegoers grand surroundings, even during its later years as a discount cinema. A major restoration completed in 1991 helped turn the aging movie house into a venue for live entertainment.

UPDATE: The Rialto continues welcoming audiences for concerts, plays, and other performances. The movies may have moved elsewhere, but the building remains part of Tacoma’s theater district, still giving people a reason to gather beneath its ornate ceiling. 07-26

Paris Theatre
Portland, OR
Photo courtesy Jim Zahniser

Few Portland marquees have seen as much history as this one. The weathered sign on the Paris Theatre has watched more than a century of changing tastes, from burlesque and silent films to grindhouse movies, live music, and just about everything in between. 09-10

The building first opened in 1890 as a burlesque theater before becoming a neighborhood movie house in the 1920s. It later gained a reputation as one of Portland's best-known adult theaters, even showing Deep Throat for years. By the late 1990s it had shifted to live performances and music before returning to adult films for another chapter.

Today the old theater has found new life once again. After an extensive restoration, it reopened as Can Can's Paris Theatre, hosting cabaret, burlesque, dinner shows, and live entertainment beneath the same familiar vertical sign that has become an Old Town landmark.

UPDATE: The Paris Theatre has been beautifully restored as Can Can's Paris Theatre, and its historic vertical marquee continues to light up downtown Portland. 07-26

Uptown Theatre
Seattle, WA
Photo courtesy Jeffrey Cook / 2006

The curved neon sign at Uptown Theatre makes a convincing argument for checking what’s playing. Standing above Queen Anne Avenue, it gives the neighborhood the sort of movie theater entrance that deserves a photograph before you head inside. 11-07

Opened in 1926 as a silent movie house, the Uptown spent decades entertaining Seattle audiences before closing in 2010. Fortunately, the dark marquee wasn’t the end of the story. SIFF reopened the theater in 2011 and purchased it in 2014, giving the neighborhood landmark a more secure future.

UPDATE: The Uptown continues operating as SIFF Cinema Uptown, presenting films across three screens. Its familiar neon remains part of the attraction, welcoming another generation of moviegoers to a theater now celebrating a century on Queen Anne Avenue. 07-26

Varsity Theatre (Closed)
Seattle, WA
Photo courtesy Jim Zahniser

The red neon at Varsity Theatre made this University District movie house easy to find along The Ave. For generations of students and neighborhood film fans, the sign meant another chance to see something beyond the usual Hollywood offerings. 09-10

Opened on October 2, 1940, the Varsity occupied a remodeled commercial building designed for theater use by Bjarne Moe. By 1947 it had switched to foreign films, helping establish Seattle’s early art cinema scene. The original single auditorium later became three screens, but the familiar name stayed out front.

UPDATE: The Varsity closed in January 2026, but another chapter is taking shape. Grand Illusion Cinema announced plans later that year to improve and reopen the historic theater as its new home. Those final credits may have been a little premature after all. 11-26