The Saenger Theatre in Pine Bluff once hosted stars like Harry Houdini and Roy Rogers. The theatre still stands but is still waiting for some much needed remodeling. Let’s walk through the aisles of this iconic location for today’s photo tour.
This tour is brought to us by our friends over at AbandonedAR. They travel to forgotten locations all over the state to preserve these places through historic documentation.
This Saenger Theatre is closed to the public. The property is monitored 24/7 so please, no trespassing.
The Saenger Theater originally opened on November 17, 1924.
www.AbandonedAR.com/Ginger Beck, Brian Halley The Saenger brothers built over 300 of these theaters during the ’20s, three of which were in Arkansas. As we mentioned early, the theatre is not open to the public but you can drive by and see it near the corner of West Second Avenue and Pine Street in Pine Bluff.
Known as the “Showplace of the South,” the theatre seated 1,500 and repeatedly sold-out for big-name performances.
Wikimedia Al G. Fields Minstrels, Ziegfeld Follies, and John Phillips Sousa were some of the performing groups that came through. Harry Houdini, Will Rogers, Roy Rogers and his horse, Trigger also graced the stage.
Besides hosting famous performances, the theatre also had celebrity guests coming to shows.
Wikimedia Silent film stars Gloria Swanson and Norma Talmadge, as well as director D.W. Griffith and movie star Judy Garland had all visited the Saenger.
The Saenger Theatre has exchanged hands many times throughout the years.
www.AbandonedAR.com/Ginger Beck, Brian Halley The theatre closed for good around 1975 because of the town’s newer theatres. The Saenger was given to a non-profit group called the Heckatoo Heritage in 1980 and later passed to Friends of the Saenger in 1996.
The non-profit group did restore parts of the theatre during the mid-90s.
www.AbandonedAR.com/Ginger Beck, Brian Halley Friends of the Saenger, changed its name to Old Towne Centre Theatres, Inc. The group works towards restoring all the old Saenger Theatres. For the Pine Bluff’s location, the group installed a new roof and did extensive remodeling.
The theatre was also added to the National Register of Historic Places.
www.AbandonedAR.com/Ginger Beck, Brian Halley They were added on March 23, 1995.
In 2012 the non-profit donated the theatre to the city.
www.AbandonedAR.com/Ginger Beck, Brian Halley The community was working towards revitalizing the downtown area so the donation made sense. $15,000 of city funds were allocated to further structural repairs.
Unfortunately, not much has been done to the theatre since 2012.
www.AbandonedAR.com/Ginger Beck, Brian Halley Some grants have been put in for additional funding but there’s no word on what the next move will be.
So, for now, the Saenger Theater quietly sits.
www.AbandonedAR.com/Ginger Beck, Brian Halley We can only hope that this iconic theatre can be preserved for future generations to enjoy.
For more pictures, you can read AbandonedAR’s full article right here.
www.AbandonedAR.com/Ginger Beck, Brian Halley
The Saenger brothers built over 300 of these theaters during the ’20s, three of which were in Arkansas. As we mentioned early, the theatre is not open to the public but you can drive by and see it near the corner of West Second Avenue and Pine Street in Pine Bluff.
Wikimedia
Al G. Fields Minstrels, Ziegfeld Follies, and John Phillips Sousa were some of the performing groups that came through. Harry Houdini, Will Rogers, Roy Rogers and his horse, Trigger also graced the stage.
Silent film stars Gloria Swanson and Norma Talmadge, as well as director D.W. Griffith and movie star Judy Garland had all visited the Saenger.
The theatre closed for good around 1975 because of the town’s newer theatres. The Saenger was given to a non-profit group called the Heckatoo Heritage in 1980 and later passed to Friends of the Saenger in 1996.
Friends of the Saenger, changed its name to Old Towne Centre Theatres, Inc. The group works towards restoring all the old Saenger Theatres. For the Pine Bluff’s location, the group installed a new roof and did extensive remodeling.
They were added on March 23, 1995.
The community was working towards revitalizing the downtown area so the donation made sense. $15,000 of city funds were allocated to further structural repairs.
Some grants have been put in for additional funding but there’s no word on what the next move will be.
We can only hope that this iconic theatre can be preserved for future generations to enjoy.
Do you have any memories of the Saenger? We would love for you to reminisce with us in the comments below!
If you enjoyed today’s abandoned photo tour, feel free to take another through this skate rink or through the sanatorium in Booneville.
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