Built in 1939, Park Theater was one of several Art Deco movie houses built by brothers A.W. and E.J. Baehr through the 1930s, and one of the remaining few to still be in operation today. Sister theaters "The Ridge" in Breckenridge, MN, and "The Border" in International Falls, MN, both ceased operations in the mid- to late-twentieth century.

Until 1991, movie-goers gathered in an open auditorium, single-screen movie house that could seat more than 550. It had a curved stage in front of the screen for occasional live performances and housed a single 35mm projector. In 1991, the single screen was replaced by two side-by-side screens with a wall built down the middle. Then, in 2011, a single large screen was restored in the original position as the 1939 original with two smaller screening rooms added off the lobby.

Although the cinema projection technology has evolved, the theater's interior still bears witness to the final years of stylized Art Deco architecture that thrived until the outbreak of World War II.

In 2017, the neon lights in the original Art Deco-style marquee caught fire due to the 78-year-old wiring. While the fire did not damage the building, the entire marquee needed to be rebuilt from meticulous laser-scans of the original. Now the iconic marquee lights continue to brighten Park Rapids' Main Avenue.

107 Main Avenue South
Park Rapids, MN 56470

Open Site Location on Google Maps
46.92175265659156, -95.06005978020663