Elsinore Theatre, Historic cinema and performance venue in Salem, United States
Elsinore Theatre is a movie theater and performance venue in Salem, Oregon, housed in a Tudor Gothic building with seating for around 1,290 people across two floors. The exterior features carved stonework, and the interior holds stained glass windows made by the Povey Brothers studio.
The theater was designed by Ellis F. Lawrence, the first dean of the University of Oregon's architecture school, and opened in 1926 as a silent film house. Fox West Coast Theatres later took over and converted it to sound film, changing how Salem residents experienced movies.
The Elsinore Theatre takes its name from the Danish castle of Helsingør, the setting of Shakespeare's Hamlet, which gives the building a literary identity visible in its Gothic details. Inside, audiences gather for film screenings and live performances in a room that feels closer to a castle hall than a typical movie house.
The theater runs films and events year-round, so checking the schedule ahead of time is a good idea since the program changes regularly. It sits in downtown Salem and is within walking distance of the main public transit stops.
The original Mighty Wurlitzer organ was dismantled in 1962; the instrument heard in the theatre today is a similar replacement. The organ had accompanied silent films since the Elsinore opened in 1926, and its loss marked the end of an era for the venue.
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