11 03, 2024

The Loew’s Colonial Theatre – Reading, PA

2024-03-11T07:54:21-04:00March 11th, 2024|Theaters-Drive-Ins, Uncategorized|0 Comments

The Colonial Theatre, built by Carr and Schad in 1916 on the Breneiser property at 651–667 Penn Street between Ellis Mills and Hotel Allen, was the first premium movie house built "uptown." The film “Sleeping Fires,” starring Pauline Frederick, opened on April 15, [...]

23 07, 2020

Astor Theatre – Penn Street – Reading PA

2020-07-23T11:20:29-04:00July 23rd, 2020|Theaters-Drive-Ins|0 Comments

In 1891, the Keystone Market House at 734 Penn Street was transformed into the Eden Musee (a curio hall and museum) and the Bijou Theatre. The property underwent various name changes over the next twenty-five years, including Gilder’s Auditorium, Becker’s Lyceum, the “New [...]

2 07, 2020

Penn Theatre – West Reading, Pennsylvania

2020-07-02T21:56:20-04:00July 2nd, 2020|Theaters-Drive-Ins|0 Comments

In the summer of 1939, the Wilmer and Vincent theatre chain, purchased the Ruth estate at Sixth and Penn Avenues in West Reading for the purpose of building a theatre on the site. According to an article which ran in the Reading Eagle on [...]

16 05, 2020

Reading/Berks Drive-in Theaters: A History

2020-05-22T00:57:12-04:00May 16th, 2020|Entertainment-Recreation, Theaters-Drive-Ins|0 Comments

Drive-in theaters were hugely popular after World War II and, on special summer occasions featured all-night shows. Among its advantages was the fact that older adults with children could take care of their infant while watching a movie, while youth found drive-ins ideal [...]

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