Yost Theater, Historic movie theater in Downtown Santa Ana, United States
The Yost Theater is a 1913 building with neoclassical features that include an ornate entrance and detailed interior spaces. The main hall seats around 1,000 people and hosts concerts, lectures, and special events.
The building opened in 1913 as the Auditorium Theater and later came under the ownership of Ed Yost, from whom it took its name. Its use shifted from silent films to Mexican cinema, then briefly to a church before being restored as a performance venue in 2007.
The venue served as a major gathering place for the Mexican community, hosting performances that connected people to their heritage. This role shaped how the building is remembered in the neighborhood today.
The venue is located downtown in Santa Ana on North Spurgeon Street and is easy to find. You can purchase tickets online in advance and check the event calendar on the official website.
Between the 1980s and 2007, the building functioned as a church, requiring interior modifications that were later reversed during restoration. This unusual period shapes how the venue's story is told today.
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