Majestic Theater ~

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                                                       A Ticket for 10 cents.

The Penn Theater ~ 2023

Work is going on inside. 

Photo: Barbara Bloom

Skyway Drive-in Theater ~

Photo: American Classic Images

In the 1950s this was a hit, especially for teenagers.
Read reminiscences of Bob Osborn BHS '58. 

Back in the 1950's Butler Co. had six Drive-in Theaters, Chicora Drive-in (Rt 268), Geibel's Drive-in (Rt 68 East), Hill Top Drive-in (Rt 68 East), Skyway Drive-in (Rt 68 West), Sunset View Drive-in (Freeport Hill) and the Pioneer Drive-in (Rt 8 North).

Song by Shane Alexander BHS '88 entitled: 

Skyway Drive-in

Capitol Theater ~

Spent our Saturday afternoons here. 10 cents. We loved it.
[Now the Brick House restaurant]

At the turn of the last century, the two properties that The Brick House now occupies, housed vaudeville theaters. The Lyric Theater occupied the space where the main bar and dining areas are today. The Capitol Theater is above the game room / banquet room. In the 1940's the Capitol was converted into one of Butler's five movie houses. Legend has it that Houdini performed and Herbert Hoover campaigned there sometime along it's storied history. Movie house records, found in the rafters, indicate that hundreds came to see movies on a nightly basis.

The Capitol Theater is still intact today on the second floor. In the early 1970's the Capitol side of the building was purchased and renovated into a restaurant by The Eat 'n Park Corp. where it remained until it's late 70's move to New Castle Road. Their renovation carefully protected the key elements of the Capitol Theater thus preserving this Historic site.

from: brickhousebutler.com 

Butler Theater ~

Happy Days

Pioneer Drive-in ~

Grand Reopening
  May 2015 
 In Facebook

The New Comique Theater ~

The theater is the first building on the left side.
Thanks: Robert Emigh

Majestic Theater ~

Not very majestic now.

Photo: Barbara Bloom

Penn Theater ~

Photo: Paul Johnson Jr. 

Renovation had begun, then the project was dropped. 

The Butler Theater ~

The Butler Warner Theater on Jefferson Street was torn down [1960] to make room for PNC's drive-through bank.

Penn Theater Lineup ~ 1941

Thanks: Beau Olsen

Penn Theater Lineup ~ 1941

The line of kids waiting to get in to see an early full length feature cartoon, "Mr. Bug Goes To Town" and "Pardon My Stripes." Then attend the Armco Steel Kid's Christmas Party held between films.  

Thanks: Beau Olsen

Kirpatrick's ~ For all our Sporting Needs

Loved the smell of leather and the Louisville Slugger bats, the quality fishing equipment, the fine baseball hats.

Majestic Theater ~ Butler's Broadway

For us, Hollywood came here.

Our Penn Theater is Back !

Sixty-seven years ago the Penn Theater on Main Street in Butler opened its doors, offering films to patrons of the thriving downtown business district. Now the new Penn Theater is seen as a catalyst to downtown's revitalization. The Butler Penn Theater Community Trust acquired the theater last year and began to return the structure to its original Art Deco splendor. Already numerous performances have taken place.