Peery's Egyptian Theatre
Ogden, UT
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

Check out Peery’s Egyptian Theatre in downtown Ogden, where the elaborate facade brings a little ancient Egypt to Washington Boulevard. Opened on July 3, 1924, the theater arrived during the Egyptian craze that followed the discovery of King Tut’s tomb. It’s quite a setting for an evening at the movies, and the marquee makes this landmark worth a look before you even step inside. 09-06

Inside, the theater’s atmospheric auditorium was designed to suggest an outdoor Egyptian courtyard. Special lighting could take the ceiling from daylight through sunset to a night sky filled with twinkling stars. The opening attraction was the silent film Wanderer of the Wasteland, giving those first audiences a Hollywood adventure beneath a sky that never had to worry about the weather.

UPDATE: After closing in the 1980s and facing possible demolition, the Egyptian was rescued through a major community preservation effort. It reopened in 1997 and continues hosting films, live performances, concerts, and special events. Good to see this elaborate old movie palace still drawing crowds in downtown Ogden. 06-26

Nuart Theatre
Blackfoot, ID
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

The Nuart Theatre in Blackfoot is one of those downtown movie houses that deserves a closer look. Construction dates to 1929, and the theater opened in February 1930, just as talking pictures were changing the movie business. Its patterned brickwork, decorative details, and prominent marquee gave Blackfoot a suitably modern setting for the new sound era. 09-06

Designed by Walter DeMordaunt, the Nuart was built to accommodate talking pictures rather than having sound equipment squeezed into an older silent movie house. Inside were green marble pillars, decorative plasterwork, and Art Deco lighting. The DeMordaunt family eventually transferred the building to the Blackfoot Community Players in 1986 for the rather agreeable purchase price of $10.

UPDATE: The Nuart remains active under the Blackfoot Community Players, hosting live theater and community gatherings. Preservation work has included funding for seating repairs and refurbishment, while the marquee received a digital display in 2017. The advertising has changed with the times, but the old theater continues bringing people downtown. 06-26

Main Theatre
Smithfield, UT
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

Here’s a look at the Main Theatre in Smithfield, Utah. This old building was entertaining the community long before Hollywood took over the program. Built in 1899 as a social hall, it accommodated dances, touring vaudeville, skating, local productions, and even boxing matches. That’s quite a variety of entertainment under one roof. 09-06

The hall became a movie theater in 1939 following an expansion and remodeling. A wall went up behind the screen so the former stage could become an apartment. Live theater returned in 1996 when the StageStop Theatre Company restored the stage and added carpeting, chandeliers, and a grand drape. Its opening production was Noises Off, followed by a short run of theatrical activity before the company departed in 1997.

UPDATE: Independent films returned after StageStop left, but regular screenings ended and the theater was closed and available for rent by summer 2004. Its history as both a social hall and movie house is documented, although its reported current operation as an event venue called The Main could not be independently confirmed. 06-26

Caine Lyric Theatre
Logan, UT
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

Check out the Caine Lyric Theatre in downtown Logan. Opened by the Thatcher family in 1913, the Lyric followed the loss of their earlier opera house to fire in 1912. Vaudeville, live productions, and movies all became part of its history, giving Cache Valley audiences plenty of reasons to gather beneath the theater’s sign. 09-06

The building fell into disrepair after its movie-house years, but the Thatcher heirs donated it to Utah State University in 1959. It reopened in 1961 with Hamlet. Naturally, a theater with this much history has picked up a ghost story: local lore tells of Everett, a long-departed actor said to linger around the stage and catwalks. His supposed appearances remain theater folklore, but he certainly adds something to the cast.

UPDATE: Renamed the Caine Lyric Theatre in 2001, the building remains associated with Utah State University and the Lyric Repertory Company. Following another substantial renovation, it reopened in 2026, returning live performances to this longtime downtown landmark. Good to see the curtain rising again—whether Everett approves of the changes is another matter. 11-26

Wyoming Theatre
Torrington, WY
Photo courtesy Larry Glass

The towering blade sign outside the Wyoming Theatre makes this Torrington movie house hard to overlook. Opened in 1927, the theater features decorative brickwork and a vertical name sign that gives the downtown streetscape plenty of character. It’s the kind of landmark that can make you stop for a photo even when you haven’t checked what’s playing. 11-07

The theater eventually became a two-screen operation, extending its working life as a hometown cinema. It has also acquired a few stories beyond the usual movie memories. A local paranormal group investigated reported footsteps, knocks, and other unexplained activity in 2022. Whether those sounds came from old building systems or something more mysterious remains open to interpretation, but an aging movie house certainly provides the right atmosphere.

UPDATE: The theater continues showing movies as Torrington Cinemas. Its historic WYOMING blade sign survived the name change and remains a standout feature of the building. After a pandemic-era interruption and new ownership, the old theater is once again giving Goshen County residents a reason to head downtown for a movie. 06-26

Capitol Theatre
Salt Lake City, UT
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

The Capitol Theatre is one of Salt Lake City’s grand old entertainment landmarks. Opened in 1913 as the Orpheum Theatre, it originally welcomed vaudeville audiences rather than movie crowds. Architect G. Albert Lansburgh gave the building an ornate terra-cotta exterior that still makes it worth a stop while wandering through downtown. 09-06

The theater became the Capitol in 1927 and spent decades entertaining moviegoers before returning to live performance. Its backstage history also includes persistent ghost stories, with employees reporting unexplained happenings associated with a young usher who died in a theater fire. The haunting remains local lore, but it adds another layer to a building already filled with more than a century of theatrical history.

UPDATE: Now officially the Janet Quinney Lawson Capitol Theatre, the building remains an active performing arts venue and home to Ballet West and Utah Opera. Restorations have helped keep the historic theater working, and its calendar continues to include ballet, opera, concerts, and visiting productions. This downtown survivor still knows how to put on a show. 06-26