Paramount Arts Center

Paramount Arts Center is a historic theater and nonprofit cultural venue in Ashland, Kentucky. The building opened on September 5, 1931, as the Paramount Theater, during the transition from silent films to talking pictures. It was originally conceived as part of a broader Paramount studio project: the theater was intended to serve as a model venue for presenting Paramount-produced films and to demonstrate a contemporary theater format that could be reproduced elsewhere in the United States. The Great Depression disrupted those plans, and the project was ultimately taken up by an Ashland-based company. Paramount craftsmen contributed interior furnishings, while the completed theater was leased to Paramount Publix Corporation. The original design was associated with the Chicago architectural firm Rapp and Rapp, but the final building was substantially reduced from the proposed version. Had the larger plan been built, the theater would reportedly have been approximately three times its eventual size. Even in its reduced form, the Paramount became a major entertainment venue for the region and operated for about four decades as a movie theater. It closed in 1971, creating the possibility that the building might be lost or repurposed. In 1972, the Greater Ashland Foundation purchased the former theater and re-established it as a performing arts center. This change transformed the venue from a primarily film-oriented business into a nonprofit institution presenting live cultural programming. Its offerings include symphonic performances, Broadway-style productions, ballets, concerts, straight plays, musicals, and other theatrical or community events. The venue also maintains a local performance tradition through the Paramount Players, an ensemble of actors who stage plays and musicals and have received recognition from theater and music-education organizations. The center has undergone several rounds of physical improvement since its nonprofit revival. A nearby building purchased in 1998 was connected to the main theater and incorporated into the operation. A major renovation completed in 2002 added a new stagehouse, dressing rooms, rehearsal facilities, and a banquet space, expanding the building's usefulness for both productions and community events. The Paramount has also served as a location associated with popular culture: Billy Ray Cyrus filmed the music video for “Achy Breaky Heart” there in 1992. The property is listed on the National Register of Historic Places under the name Paramount Theatre. Its identity therefore combines historic preservation, regional performing arts, live entertainment, and community access. Local lore about a ghost known as “Paramount Joe” has become part of the venue's informal cultural mythology, although the story is presented as folklore rather than documented institutional history. Overall, the Paramount Arts Center functions as an Ashland-based nonprofit arts anchor, preserving a surviving early sound-era theater while adapting the facility for concerts, theater, dance, film-related activity, and other public programs.

The Paramount Arts Center began as the Paramount Theater, which opened in Ashland, Kentucky, on September 5, 1931. Its construction took place during a pivotal period in American cinema, when theaters were being redesigned to accommodate synchronized sound and the rapidly expanding popularity of talking pictures. The venue was intended to be one of the first transitional theaters of its type and was conceived as a model for a larger Paramount exhibition program. The original concept was connected with Paramount's film business and was expected to showcase films produced by the studio. The Great Depression changed the project's direction. Paramount abandoned the broader development plan, and an Ashland-based company took up the building project. The completed theater was leased to Paramount Publix Corporation, while Paramount craftsmen supplied interior furnishings. The building's design was associated with Rapp and Rapp, the prominent theater architects, but economic conditions resulted in a scaled-back structure. The unrealized version would have been roughly three times the size of the theater that was ultimately built. For its first forty years, the Paramount operated primarily as a cinema. It formed part of the entertainment infrastructure of Ashland and the surrounding region, serving audiences during the golden age of movie palaces and continuing through later changes in film exhibition. The theater closed in 1971. Rather than allowing the property to disappear from local cultural life, the Greater Ashland Foundation purchased it in 1972 and created a nonprofit performing-arts center. The institutional change after 1972 broadened the venue's role. The Paramount ceased to be defined only by film screenings and became a stage for symphonies, Broadway productions, ballets, concerts, straight plays, musicals, and other events. The center also developed local theatrical activity through the Paramount Players, a group of community actors producing plays and musicals. The group has received awards and recognition from theater and music-education organizations, reflecting the venue's role as a platform for local as well as touring talent. The building continued to evolve physically. In 1998, the organization purchased a nearby building. It was subsequently connected to the main theater and used to provide additional operational capacity. Renovation work completed in 2002 added a new stagehouse, dressing rooms, rehearsal space, and a banquet facility. These improvements allowed the organization to support more complex productions and to use the site for rehearsals, hospitality, and other community functions. The Paramount has also appeared in popular-culture contexts. In 1992, Billy Ray Cyrus filmed the music video for “Achy Breaky Heart” at the theater. The venue's history and atmosphere have further encouraged local legends, including a story about a construction worker who allegedly died during early work on the building and whose ghost, known as “Paramount Joe,” is said to remain there. Accounts describe unexplained sounds, cold drafts, misplaced objects, and other alleged phenomena. The story is part of the theater's folklore and visitor mythology, not a confirmed historical account. The theater is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Paramount Theatre. Its present identity rests on the combination of architectural and cinematic heritage with an active nonprofit performing-arts mission. The center preserves an early sound-era theater while continuing to operate as a flexible venue for live performance, music, dance, theatrical production, film-related activity, and local events.

• 2002

  Facility expansion completed

  [1]Paramount Arts Centeren.wikipedia.org

  Renovation adds a stagehouse, dressing rooms, rehearsal space, and banquet facilities, with the adjacent building connected to the theater.

• 1998

  Adjacent property acquired

  [1]Paramount Arts Centeren.wikipedia.org

  A nearby building is purchased for later integration into the center's facilities.

• 1992

  Music-video filming

  [1]Paramount Arts Centeren.wikipedia.org

  Billy Ray Cyrus films the “Achy Breaky Heart” music video at the theater.

• 1972

  Conversion into a performing-arts center

  [1]Paramount Arts Centeren.wikipedia.org

  The Greater Ashland Foundation acquires the property and establishes a nonprofit performing-arts center.

• 1971

  Original movie-theater operation ends

  [1]Paramount Arts Centeren.wikipedia.org

  The Paramount closes after approximately forty years as a movie theater.

• 1931

  Paramount Theater opens

  [1]Paramount Arts Centeren.wikipedia.org

  The theater opens on September 5 in Ashland, Kentucky, as an early venue designed for the era of talking pictures.

A historic regional performing-arts center that preserves a 1931 movie theater while presenting diverse live entertainment and community cultural programming.

• Performing arts · 1972

  Live performing-arts program

  The center's core offering is a program of live cultural events presented in its historic theater. Programming includes symphonies, concerts, Broadway-style productions, ballets, straight plays, musicals, and other productions. The mix combines touring or professional presentations with community-oriented performances, using the venue's stage and expanded backstage infrastructure.

• Community theater

  Paramount Players

  The Paramount Players are a local acting group associated with the center. They perform straight plays and musicals, extending the venue's role beyond hosting outside performers to supporting regional theatrical participation. The group has received recognition including Kentucky Theatre Association and IMEA honors for production, musical, direction, and choreography.

• Venue rental and events · 2002

  Historic theater and event facilities

  The Paramount provides a historic auditorium and supporting facilities for performances and community events. Its post-2002 configuration includes a new stagehouse, dressing rooms, rehearsal space, and a banquet facility in an adjacent building connected to the main theater.

• Film exhibition · 1931

  Movie screenings

  The building originated as a movie theater and its institutional history remains closely tied to film exhibition. Contemporary programming is primarily identified with performing arts, while film screenings may form part of the venue's broader event activity.

• 1992“Achy Breaky Heart” music-video location

  United States

  The Paramount served as the filming location for Billy Ray Cyrus's music video for “Achy Breaky Heart,” linking the historic venue to a nationally visible country-music release.

  Outcome. The filming became part of the venue's popular-culture history.

  Source

• 2002

  Major facility renovationOther

  Background

  The center continued adapting its former cinema building for live performance and community use.

  Action taken

  The renovation added a stagehouse, dressing rooms, rehearsal space, and a banquet facility, and connected the nearby building to the main theater.

  Aftermath

  The center gained improved backstage, rehearsal, and event capacity.

  Source

• 1998

  Expansion through adjacent-building acquisitionStrategy

  Background

  The performing-arts operation required additional space beyond the historic auditorium.

  Action taken

  The organization purchased a nearby building for integration into the center's facilities.

  Aftermath

  The building was later connected to the theater and supported rehearsal, dressing-room, banquet, and production functions.

  Source

• 1972

  Repositioning from cinema to nonprofit performing artsStrategy

  Background

  The theater closed in 1971 after operating for about four decades as a movie venue.

  Action taken

  The Greater Ashland Foundation purchased the property and established it as a nonprofit performing-arts center.

  Aftermath

  The venue broadened its role to include theater, music, dance, concerts, and other live cultural programming.

  Source

• 2006

  Sprinkler incident causes damage during pageant preparation[1]Paramount Arts Centeren.wikipedia.org

  Other

  A dress hung from a sprinkler while being steamed triggered the sprinkler system and caused reported damage estimated at $30,000.

• 2002

  Major renovation adds stagehouse and production facilities[1]Paramount Arts Centeren.wikipedia.org

  Other

  A major renovation added a new stagehouse, dressing rooms, rehearsal space, and a banquet facility, with the adjacent building connected to the main venue.

• 1998

  Nearby building is acquired for expansion[1]Paramount Arts Centeren.wikipedia.org

  Other

  The organization purchased a nearby building that was later connected to the theater and used for supporting production and event functions.

• 1992

  Billy Ray Cyrus films “Achy Breaky Heart” video at the Paramount[1]Paramount Arts Centeren.wikipedia.org

  Campaign

  The Ashland venue was used as a filming location for Billy Ray Cyrus's music video for “Achy Breaky Heart.”

• 1972

  Greater Ashland Foundation purchases and reopens the theater as an arts center[1]Paramount Arts Centeren.wikipedia.org

  Other

  The Greater Ashland Foundation acquired the former Paramount Theater and established it as a nonprofit performing-arts center.

• 1971

  Paramount Theater closes after four decades as a movie venue[1]Paramount Arts Centeren.wikipedia.org

  Other

  The theater ended its original operating era as a movie theater after approximately forty years of service.

1. 1Paramount Arts Centeren.wikipedia.org
2. 2Paramount Arts Center official websiteparamountartscenter.com