Admiral Theatre
A historic movie theater and entertainment venue in Seattle's North Admiral neighborhood.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
The Admiral Theatre is a historic movie theater and community entertainment venue in the North Admiral neighborhood of West Seattle, Washington. The building dates from 1919, when it opened as the Portola Theatre. From its earliest years, the venue combined film presentation with theatrical decoration and specialized cinema technology. Its original nautical design included porthole details, while the auditorium was equipped with a theater organ for silent-film accompaniment and a lighting system intended to add color effects to otherwise black-and-white films. In 1938, Seattle theater operator John Danz acquired the Portola. The building was remodeled and renamed the Admiral Theatre, with the new name selected through a popular vote among West Seattle residents. The redesigned theater officially opened on January 22, 1942. Architect B. Marcus Priteca and decorative artist Anthony Heinsbergen were associated with the 802-seat theater's design, which developed the venue's maritime identity. Nautical references remained part of the visitor experience: the auditoriums are identified as piers, exit signs are accompanied by green seahorses, and the staff area is called the crew's quarters. The original Portola portholes were later preserved above the lobby, and a large 1942 mural depicting George Vancouver remains a prominent interior feature. The theater was subsequently sold by Danz to Cineplex. During the Cineplex period, the venue experienced neglect and financial difficulty and announced plans to close. Preservation efforts involving the Seattle Historical Society helped secure landmark recognition and supported the building's survival. The Admiral reopened in 1992 as a second-run movie theater, allowing the historic venue to continue operating while retaining its architectural and cultural identity. The Admiral has also functioned as more than a conventional cinema. It hosted regular performances of The Rocky Horror Picture Show for more than a decade, with the final listed showing taking place on November 1, 2014. The theater was associated with J. P. Patches, a well-known local clown and entertainer, and has presented special events and family-oriented programming. Its Mommy Matinee series was designed to give parents and guardians an easier setting in which to bring young children to the movies. The building has undergone several significant physical changes. In 1973, the original auditorium was divided into two screens. A further renovation in 2017 converted the two-screen configuration into four auditoriums and added luxury seating, upgraded sound, and 3D presentation capabilities. The Admiral initially became known for second-run films but later shifted toward showing new releases. Faraway Entertainment, a Bainbridge Island-based entertainment group, acquired the theater in June 2008, and Admiral Entertainment, LLC, manages the movie house. Its continuing identity rests on the combination of current film exhibition, local programming, historic preservation, and a distinctive maritime interior.
History
The Admiral Theatre occupies a building constructed in 1919 in West Seattle's North Admiral neighborhood. It originally operated as the Portola Theatre, a cinema with a maritime visual theme. Two portholes appeared on the facade, and the venue was equipped for the presentation of silent films with a theater organ. Its screen also used a lighting system intended to introduce color accents into black-and-white film presentations, reflecting the technological and theatrical experimentation associated with cinemas of the period. John Danz purchased the Portola in 1938. He commissioned a substantial remodeling and adopted the name Admiral Theatre after a public vote among West Seattle residents. The rebuilt venue opened on January 22, 1942, with an auditorium seating approximately 802 people. B. Marcus Priteca and Anthony Heinsbergen were credited with the architectural and decorative design work. The remodeled theater strengthened the nautical concept that had characterized the Portola, making maritime imagery part of the building's permanent identity. The interior retained and expanded this theme through details such as pier names for the auditoriums, seahorse motifs beside exit signs, and the designation of the employees' room as the crew's quarters. A large mural of George Vancouver, painted in 1942, occupies the wall behind the concession stand. The former Portola portholes were preserved above the lobby. In 1997, muralist Jeff Greene added an underwater scene to one auditorium, extending the venue's maritime decoration into a more contemporary period. The murals and decorative elements have remained important features even as the building's technical facilities have changed. After Danz's ownership, the theater was sold to Cineplex. The venue later fell into disrepair and suffered financial losses, leading to an announced closure. Preservation activity involving the Seattle Historical Society helped prevent the building from disappearing as a cinema and supported its recognition as a historic landmark. The Admiral reopened in 1992 and resumed operation primarily as a second-run theater. Its programming has included both commercial film exhibition and community events. The venue hosted regular presentations of The Rocky Horror Picture Show for more than a decade, and it was also associated with local entertainer J. P. Patches. Family programming included Mommy Matinee screenings, intended to make moviegoing more accessible to parents and guardians with young children. These activities reinforced the theater's role as a neighborhood institution rather than only a conventional screening site. The building's screening configuration changed over time. In 1973, the original auditorium was divided into two auditoriums. Faraway Entertainment, an entertainment group based on Bainbridge Island, Washington, acquired the theater in June 2008. Admiral Entertainment, LLC, manages the movie house. A major 2017 renovation converted the two-screen arrangement into four auditoriums and introduced luxury seating, upgraded sound, and 3D presentation technology. Although the theater was historically associated with second-run programming, it subsequently shifted toward showing new releases. The present venue therefore combines modern multiplex functions with a preserved historic shell, nautical decoration, local programming, and landmark status.
- 2017
Four-screen renovation completed
[1]A renovation creates four auditoriums from the earlier two-screen layout and adds luxury seating, improved sound, and 3D capability.
- 2014
Regular Rocky Horror screenings conclude
[1]The theater's regular run of The Rocky Horror Picture Show ends with a final listed screening on November 1.
- 2008
Faraway Entertainment acquires the theater
[1]Faraway Entertainment purchases the Admiral Theatre in June, with Admiral Entertainment, LLC, managing operations.
- 1997
Underwater mural added
[1]Muralist Jeff Greene creates an underwater-themed mural in one of the auditoriums, adding to the theater's maritime decoration.
- 1992
Theater reopens after preservation efforts
[1]Following closure concerns, neglect, and landmark-preservation efforts, the Admiral reopens as a second-run theater.
- 1973
Auditorium divided into two screens
[1]The theater's original auditorium is divided to create a two-screen configuration.
- 1942
Admiral Theatre officially opens
[1]The remodeled 802-seat Admiral Theatre opens on January 22, with design work associated with B. Marcus Priteca and Anthony Heinsbergen.
- 1938
John Danz acquires and remodels the theater
[1]John Danz purchases the Portola Theatre and undertakes a remodeling that leads to its renaming as the Admiral Theatre.
- 1919
Portola Theatre opens
[1]The building that would become the Admiral Theatre is constructed and begins operating as the Portola Theatre, a nautical-themed movie house.
Products and positioning
A neighborhood cinema and historic entertainment landmark that combines contemporary movie exhibition with preserved Art Deco-era architecture, nautical design, community programming, and special events.
Cinema programming
First-run movie exhibition
The Admiral Theatre presents newly released commercial films as part of its contemporary cinema offering. This reflects a shift from its earlier identity as primarily a second-run neighborhood theater. The four-auditorium configuration created by the 2017 renovation enables the venue to schedule multiple films or showtimes while retaining the historic theater building and its distinctive interior design.
Cinema programming · 1992
Second-run movie exhibition
Following its 1992 reopening, the Admiral operated as a second-run movie theater, offering films after their initial theatrical release. Second-run programming supported the venue's return as a working neighborhood cinema after preservation efforts helped prevent its closure and loss as a historic building.
Family programming
Mommy Matinee
Mommy Matinee screenings were designed for parents and guardians bringing young children to the movies. The program positioned the theater as a family-friendly community venue by creating a more relaxed environment in which ordinary child-related disruptions were less stressful for attendees.
Special-event cinema
The Rocky Horror Picture Show presentations
For more than ten years, the Admiral regularly hosted performances and screenings of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. The program provided an interactive and repertory-oriented complement to ordinary movie exhibition. The last listed regular showing took place on November 1, 2014.
Brand decisions
2017
Expand from two auditoriums to fourGeneration changeBackground
The theater's previous two-screen arrangement limited its ability to combine historic-site operations with a broader contemporary film schedule.
Action taken
The 2017 renovation converted the venue into four auditoriums and added luxury seating, improved sound equipment, and 3D presentation capability.
Aftermath
The renovation modernized the cinema's customer experience and supported its later emphasis on new releases without removing its historic identity.
1992
Reopen as a second-run neighborhood theaterStrategyBackground
The theater had faced neglect, financial losses, and an announced closure after its period under Cineplex ownership.
Action taken
Preservation efforts helped secure the building's landmark status and enabled it to reopen as a second-run cinema.
Aftermath
The Admiral continued operating as a movie house while preserving an important historic venue in West Seattle.
1938
Rename and reposition the Portola Theatre as the Admiral TheatreStrategyBackground
After acquiring the Portola Theatre, John Danz pursued a substantial remodel and sought a new identity for the West Seattle venue.
Action taken
The theater was remodeled and renamed the Admiral Theatre, with the name selected through a popular vote among local residents.
Aftermath
The new identity formally launched with the theater's January 1942 reopening and established the nautical branding that remains central to the venue.
Sources2 sources
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