Peterborough Motion Picture Theatres: A Chronological List
Map courtesy of Richard Peachey. He produced an initial version of this map for the 2014 ReFrame exhibit “The Electric City Goes to the Movies.” The map does not include Jackson Park, the drive-in theatres, and the Peterborough Mini-Cinema.
Bradburn’s Opera House (1876–1906 in its original manifestation), 334 George St. N., between Charlotte and Simcoe streets; site of the first motion picture showing in Peterborough, January 1897; later known as Assembly Hall or Victoria Hall and continued to be used as such for decades; part of a block of buildings demolished in 1974 (with the exception of Market Hall, and its clock tower), replaced by the new structures of Peterborough Square.
Jackson Park (1905—8); not exactly a theatre, but in any case an open-air motion picture venue; on July 31, 1905, the Peterborough Radial Railway Company began screening moving pictures regularly in Jackson Park; park also included other activities, such as band music and structures for a box-ball alley and ice cream parlor; skating rink and toboggan slide in winter; the pictures continued to be shown almost nightly in the following summers, until September 1908.
Grand Opera House (1905–37); 284 George St. N.; building demolished 1941; site later of the Paramount movie theatre and in 2010s of The Venue. Showed occasional motion pictures from the first, then more and more as the years went by. Final motion picture, Academy Award winner Wings, in June 1928.
Scott’s Colloseum (sometimes spelled Coliseum) (1906–07), 432 George St. N.; appears to have opened as a Penny Arcade in November 1906; Colloseum opened January 1907; moved to what was the sheltered box-ball alley in Jackson Park in June 1907; disappeared after that; in 2010s the site of Christensen Fine Art followed by Dream Cyclery.
Wonderland (July 27, 1907–March 25, 1908), 445 George St. N., on the west side of George, north of Brock St.; later (in 1939) site of Coleman’s paint shop, and in 2010s of BioPed, “Custom-Made Orthotics” and “Shoe Modifications.”
The Crystal (1907–13), 408 George St. N., in the “Crystal Building,” on the east side, north of Hunter; in 2013 the site of Brown Business Equipment and after that The Peace Pipe.
Royal (1908–19, 1921–25), 344–348 George St. N.; was located in one of the buildings demolished in 1974; in the 2010s the site of Peterborough Square, fronting on George.
Princess Theatre (1909–16), 415 George; site in 2010s of Real Thai Cuisine.
Red Mill Theatre (1913–16), 408 George; succeeded the Crystal.
Empire Theatre (1914–21), 224 Charlotte St., on the north side, about midway between the Peterborough Curling Club Rink (#218) and Aylmer St.; in 1947 the site of Firestone store; in 1984 the buildings on the site were destroyed by a fire; now a parking lot.
Tiz-It Theatre (1916–17), 415 George St. N.; succeeded the Princess; in 1918 the site of the Paris Café, succeeded in the 1950s by the Hi-Tops Restaurant; in 2010s the site of Real Thai Cusine.
Strand Theatre (1916–20), 408 George St. N.; succeeded the Crystal and Red Mill. By 1920–21 its site was occupied by the Dominion Billiard Company; later, the Liquor Control Board of Ontario, Lowe Brothers Paint Store, Sherwin Williams Co. of Canada, Caryn’s Bath Boutique, Melting Pot Co-Op, etc.
Allen Theatre (1919–21), 344–346 George St. N.; part of a national theatre chain, briefly supplanted the Royal.
The Regent (1920–1949), 139 Hunter St., on the south side of Hunter between George and Water, site once occupied by “the old ‘Times’ offices on Hunter Street”; in 2010s the site of Hobarts steak house and then Capra Toro restaurant.
The Capitol (1921–61), 306 George St. N.; in 2010s Curry Village and other businesses are on the site.
Centre Theatre (1939–56), 344–348 George St. N., in the space that had formerly been the Royal Theatre, in the middle of the George Street block where Peterborough Square now stands.
Odeon Theatre (1947–86), 290 George St. N.; divided into two screens by 1979; now the site of the Showplace Performance Centre.
Peterborough Drive-In (1948— 85), Lakefield Road (or Highway 28, now County Road 29), just north of Peterborough. Now, roughly, the site of a Giant Tiger store and lot.
Paramount Theatre (1948–86), 286 George St. N.; divided into two screens, 1972; now the site of The Venue.
Mustang Drive-In (1968—2013), Rural Route 3 (2134 Preston Rd.), established on the west side of the original Highway 28, southwest of Peterborough.
Peterborough Mini Cinema (c.1970–1971), 39 George N., repertory theatre, before that home to Tonecraft Paints, after that, Colour Your World; in 2019, Dulux Paints.
Festival Screening Room (1976—79), 195 Simcoe Street (on the south side, across from the city bus terminal); closes briefly July 1976 but reopens September 1976. In 1979 it was replaced by Cultural Studio Theatre.
Lansdowne Place Cineplex 6 (1980–2001), 645 Lansdowne Street W., six screens.
Trent Cinemas (1986–95), 290 George Street N., succeeded the Odeon, with two screens; part of the Cineplex-Odeon chain; later the site of Showplace Performance Centre.
Kaos Café and Revue Cinema (1991–1998), 277 George Street, southwest corner of George and King streets.
Trent Cinemas 7-Plex (1997–1999), Peterborough Square, with seven screens; northeast corner of Charlotte St. and Water St., on the ground level above the Peterborough Square’s Eaton store.
Galaxy Cinemas (2000— ), 320 Water St. at Charlotte; now the only theatre left in Peterborough – but with 11 screens.
Cinema 379 (2003—7), 379 George Street, in what is known as the Robert Fair/David Bierk Building.
Examiner, July 30, 1948, p.9.