Ketchikan Coliseum Theatre

The Ketchikan Coliseum Theatre is a movie theater in Ketchikan, Alaska, United States. It is one of the cinemas operated by Gross Alaska Inc., a family-owned exhibition company that has shown films in Southeast Alaska for more than 125 years. The Coliseum serves as the Ketchikan venue within the Gross-Alaska Theatres circuit, which also includes theaters in Juneau. Through its parent company's website, the theater offers current showtimes, online ticket purchasing, and a newsletter for showtime schedules, updates, and event notifications. The theater's roots trace to the Klondike Gold Rush era. In 1897, Russian-born William David Gross traveled north from Seattle to Alaska, where he pursued a series of business ventures—working as a clerk, selling groceries and supplies, and running clothing and tailor shops. He developed an interest in moving pictures and, in the early 1900s, invested in saloons before opening his first theater with a loan from Hansine Campen, a dancer he later married. The couple traveled around Alaska showcasing moving pictures, including through Southeast Alaska, which led to the establishment of the company's current theaters in Juneau and Ketchikan. Today, Gross Alaska Inc. is owned and operated by the fourth generation of the Gross family. The Ketchikan Coliseum Theatre continues to provide family entertainment to Southeast Alaska, maintaining a legacy that spans over 125 years. The theater operates as a private, family-held business rather than a publicly traded chain, and it remains an active part of Ketchikan's cultural and entertainment landscape.

The Ketchikan Coliseum Theatre is part of Gross Alaska Inc., a family-owned theater company whose history in Alaska began during the Klondike Gold Rush. In 1897, Russian-born William David Gross traveled north from Seattle to Alaska among those seeking fortune. Raised in a family of tailors, he worked as a clerk, then sold groceries and supplies, and eventually owned clothing and tailor shops. As he ran clothing stores, he became interested in the new technology of moving pictures. In the early 1900s, he invested in saloons and later opened his first theater with a loan from a dancer, Hansine Campen, whom he later married. The couple traveled around Alaska showcasing moving pictures, including through Southeast Alaska, which led to the establishment of the company's current theaters in Juneau and Ketchikan. Gross Alaska Inc. has been part of these communities for over 125 years. The theaters are currently owned and operated by the fourth generation of the Gross family, continuing the family legacy of providing family entertainment to Southeast Alaska. The Ketchikan Coliseum Theatre serves as the company's Ketchikan location, offering movie screenings, online ticket purchasing, and a newsletter for showtimes and event notifications.

• 1897

  William David Gross travels from Seattle to Alaska during the Klondike Gold Rush.

• Gross invests in saloons and later opens his first theater with a loan from Hansine Campen.

• Gross Alaska Inc. establishes its current theaters in Juneau and Ketchikan.

• Gross Alaska Inc. celebrates over 125 years in the communities of Juneau and Ketchikan.

Family-owned, community-focused cinema providing family entertainment in Southeast Alaska for over 125 years.

• Movie screenings

• Online ticket purchasing

• Email newsletter with showtimes and event notifications

1. 1Gross Alaska Theatres - A Century of Cinema in Juneau & Ketchikan — Gross-Alaska Theatresgrossalaska.com
2. 2About Us — Gross-Alaska Theatresgrossalaska.com
3. 3Ketchikan Coliseum Theatrewikidata.org