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Historic place

Elks Theatre

512 6th Street, Rapid City, SD

A 1911 Elks Lodge meeting hall-turned-movie palace sat flood-damaged and vacant for two years, then reopened to reveal a hidden 1929 barrel ceiling under decades of drop tile.

📅 1911–present🏛️ TheatreStill hereBuilt 1911

Open on the map Slide back to 1911

Elks Theatre, 512 6th Street, Rapid City, SD

Elks Theatre, Rapid City · Sadads, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

The story

The Elks Building opened August 30, 1911 as a lodge meetinghouse; its theater followed in 1912 and began showing films in 1920, wired for "talkies" by 1929. United Artists closed it December 31, 1989, and in 1990 burst frozen pipes badly damaged the vacant building. Local owners Doug and Lori Andrews restored and reopened it May 15, 1992; a 2012 lobby renovation stripped 1970s drop ceilings to reveal the original curved 1929 plaster "barrel" ceiling.

Everything that was here

1911–present · still open
Elks TheatreTheatre
A 1911 Elks Lodge meeting hall-turned-movie palace sat flood-damaged and vacant for two years, then reopened to reveal a hidden 1929 barrel ceiling under decades of drop tile.
See the map in 1912 →

Did you know?

It sat vacant and flood-damaged for roughly two years (1990-1992) before being rescued.

A 2012 renovation uncovered the original 1929 curved plaster ceiling, hidden for decades.

A 1953 local premiere of the film "Calamity Jane" was held here.

Connected places

Occidental Hotel

Mount Moriah Cemetery

Terry (mining town)

Bon-Air Cafe and Country Club

SS Admiral

Kiel Opera House

Explore the full web of connections on the map.

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Sourceshttps://cinematreasures.org/theaters/6354