Needles Theatre
Needles, CA
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

Following Route 66 through Needles, check out the old Needles Theatre along Broadway. The tall vertical sign still marks the entrance, while the big brick building gives some idea of how impressive this place must have looked when movie crowds filled the sidewalk. 07-07

The building was constructed in 1929 as a combination Masonic Temple and theater. The Masons used the second floor as their lodge, while the 700-seat auditorium below included a full stage, orchestra pit, and an early desert cooling system. The theater opened on March 1, 1930, showing the musical Chasing Rainbows.

Movies continued here for more than 60 years before an electrical roof fire badly damaged the building in 1992. The Needles Area Chamber of Commerce purchased the closed theater in 1997 and began a long campaign to save it. The vertical NEEDLES sign was eventually removed, restored, and returned to the facade in 2017.

Needles Theatre
Needles, CA
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

UPDATE: A group has formed to restore the old Needles Theatre on Route 66. If you are interested in donating to the Friends of the Needles Theatre. (Note: It does not appear that their website is still active) Many thanks to Linda Fitzpatrick, Chairperson for donation info. 07-07

UPDATE: The Needles Theatre remains closed and vacant. Powerful desert windstorms repeatedly damaged sections of its roof, including a major loss in May 2019 that scattered debris onto Broadway. Preservation efforts continue, but there is no firm reopening date. The restored vertical sign remains attached to the front of the old theater. 09-26

Brawley Theatre
Brawley, CA
Photo courtesy Bill Herzog

Have a look at the old Brawley Theatre facing the plaza in downtown Brawley. The vertical BRAWLEY sign and empty entrance were still hanging on when this photo was taken, though the theater had already been dark for more than 25 years. 12-06

The theater opened as the Belvedere on March 22, 1922. It became the Brawley Theatre in 1929, around the time talking pictures arrived. Over the years, the building reportedly saw just about everything, including live music, movies, burlesque shows, and even a Prohibition-era speakeasy.

The show came to an abrupt end after the Imperial Valley earthquake of October 15, 1979. Severe cracking and foundation damage forced the theater to close, leaving its marquee and facade overlooking the plaza while the auditorium sat abandoned behind them.

Brawley Theatre
Brawley, CA
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

UPDATE: Here's another photo of the Brawley Theatre, this time a straight on view. 11-20

UPDATE: The building was donated to the Brawley Community Foundation in 2011 and is being restored as the 450-seat Brawley Playhouse Theatre. Crews have replaced the failed roof structure and continued work on the stage and interior despite a fire in 2021. The old BRAWLEY marquee remains on the facade as fundraising and restoration move forward. 09-26