Ramona Theater

The Ramona Theater is a historic movie theater at 113 Broadway in Buhl, Idaho, United States. Constructed in 1928, it belongs to the period when movie theaters were being built across the United States with highly expressive architectural styles intended to turn filmgoing into an immersive experience. The building was designed by architect Burton Morse and combines Spanish Mission features with Islamic-inspired elements. Its design includes a pink stucco exterior, a prominent four-story corner tower rising approximately 41 feet, and a mosque-like dome. The theatrical appearance has been associated with the visual language of 1920s cinema, including the exoticized settings popularized by films such as The Thief of Bagdad. Construction incorporated portions of an earlier building on the site, the Wade Building. This reuse connected the theater to the commercial history of central Buhl while giving the property a substantially new architectural identity. Rather than following a restrained commercial design, the Ramona Theater used a strongly themed façade and vertical corner element to establish a visible landmark on Broadway. The theater was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. That designation reflects its architectural and historical significance as an example of a small-town movie theater from the late 1920s and as a surviving local landmark. Available reference material identifies the property primarily through its building history, architectural character, and preservation status; it does not provide reliable information about the theater's original operator, ownership history, programming, attendance, financial performance, or present operating condition. It should therefore be treated as a historic theater property rather than as an internationally commercialized entertainment brand.

The Ramona Theater was built in 1928 at 113 Broadway in Buhl, Idaho, during a period of rapid cinema construction in which theaters increasingly adopted distinctive architectural themes. The building was designed by architect Burton Morse. Its exterior combines Spanish Mission vocabulary with Islamic-inspired details, creating an intentionally theatrical appearance that reflected the influence of popular adventure films and their elaborate settings. The structure is characterized by a pink stucco mass, a four-story corner tower measuring about 41 feet in height, and a dome with a mosque-like profile. These elements gave the theater a strong presence within Buhl's commercial district and made it more than a functional screening venue. The design was part of a broader 1920s tendency to present movie theaters as destinations whose architecture helped frame the audience's experience before and after a film. Parts of the earlier Wade Building on the site were incorporated into the theater's construction. This adaptation preserved a physical link with an earlier phase of the property while introducing a new purpose and a markedly different public identity. The available historical account does not identify the theater's builder, original operator, later owners, or the dates of its cinema operations. It also does not establish whether the venue remains open, has been converted, or is vacant. Accordingly, the theater's current status is recorded as unknown rather than being characterized as definitively active or defunct. The Ramona Theater was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. Its recognition is based on its architectural and local historical value, particularly its survival as an example of a themed small-town movie theater from the late 1920s. The property is best understood today as a Buhl historic landmark associated with the development of early twentieth-century commercial entertainment architecture.

• 1976

  Listed on the National Register of Historic Places

  [1]Ramona Theateren.wikipedia.org

  The Ramona Theater received National Register recognition for its architectural and historical significance as a surviving 1920s movie theater in Buhl.

• 1928

  Ramona Theater constructed

  [1]Ramona Theateren.wikipedia.org

  The theater was built at 113 Broadway in Buhl, Idaho, to designs by architect Burton Morse. Construction incorporated portions of the earlier Wade Building on the site.

A locally significant historic movie theater and architectural landmark distinguished by its 1920s Spanish Mission and Islamic-inspired design.

• Historic cinema venue · 1928

  Ramona Theater building

  The theater building is the principal offering associated with the Ramona name. Constructed in 1928, it features a pink stucco exterior, Spanish Mission and Islamic-inspired architectural details, a four-story corner tower, and a mosque-like dome. The structure was created as a movie theater and later became notable as a preserved example of themed cinema architecture. The available sources do not establish its current public use or operating status.

1. 1Ramona Theateren.wikipedia.org