Terrace Theatre
Terrace Theatre was a landmark mid-century modern movie palace in Robbinsdale, Minnesota, celebrated for its architecture, amenities, and role in Twin Cities cinema before closing in 1999 and being demolished in 2016.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Terrace Theatre was a major suburban cinema located at 3508 France Avenue North in Robbinsdale, Minnesota. Designed by the Minneapolis architectural firm Liebenberg & Kaplan for theater exhibitors Sidney and William Volk, it opened on May 23, 1951, as one of the first major postwar movie theaters built in the Minneapolis suburbs. The 1,299-seat venue was conceived as a destination for the wider Twin Cities area rather than merely as a neighborhood screen. Its opening design combined the visual confidence of mid-century modernism with an unusually extensive set of patron services, leading contemporary observers to promote it as “America’s Finest Theatre.” Architectural historian Larry Millett later described it as among the finest movie theaters of its era in the United States. The building was notable for both its appearance and its technical features. Its exterior used red and buff brick, stone, glass block, colored glass, and a metal canopy, with a prominent sign tower carrying the Terrace name. Inside, the auditorium included a large screen, velvet curtain, semicircular stage, stone planters, sloped and stepped seating, and carefully coordinated lobby and foyer finishes. Celotex, a sound-absorbing material made from sugar-cane waste and casein glue, contributed to the theater’s acoustics. A year-round cooling system that used 52-degree well water was especially attractive during Minnesota summers, when household air conditioning was uncommon. The original site covered approximately ten acres and was planned as the anchor of a larger development that was eventually only partially realized. The Terrace was upgraded as exhibition technology changed. CinemaScope and stereophonic sound were installed in January 1954, and 70mm equipment was added during the 1970s. The theater screened prominent films, often obtained soon after their downtown engagements, and sometimes welcomed audiences with complimentary coffee and other refreshments. In April 1984, it hosted the world premiere of Stop Making Sense, with musician David Byrne and director Jonathan Demme appearing at the event. The premiere became one of the most notable cultural events associated with the building. The Volk brothers owned the theater until 1980, when Plitt Theaters acquired it. Midcontinent Media purchased the property in 1987 and remodeled the single auditorium into a three-screen complex by dividing the balcony into two smaller screening rooms. The revised venue operated as the Midco Terrace and reopened with Roxanne at a low admission price. The alteration increased the number of screens but weakened the spatial and architectural qualities that had defined the original movie palace. The theater closed in 1999 and remained boarded up for approximately seventeen years. After closing, the Terrace became a focus of local preservation efforts. It had been considered eligible for the National Register of Historic Places in 2004, although that eligibility lapsed after ten years. A new nomination was prepared in 2016, and preservationists argued that the building retained substantial historic integrity and could be restored as a cinema or multi-use cultural facility. Others viewed the vacant structure as an obstacle to redevelopment and supported replacing it with a grocery store. The Robbinsdale City Council approved demolition in August 2016, and the building was demolished during the autumn of that year despite petitions, litigation, and emergency requests for an injunction. The site was subsequently redeveloped for a Hy-Vee grocery store. Surviving elements, including the damaged rooftop TERRACE letters and lobby “sputnik” chandeliers, were transferred to the Robbinsdale Historical Society.
History
Terrace Theatre emerged from the postwar expansion of suburban Minneapolis–Saint Paul and from the Volk brothers’ strategy of operating large destination cinemas outside the traditional downtown core. Sidney and William Volk commissioned Liebenberg & Kaplan, a Minneapolis firm that had developed extensive expertise in movie-theater design across the Upper Midwest. The result was a 1,299-seat theater at 3508 France Avenue North in Robbinsdale, built as the first phase of a planned ten-acre development. Although a shopping mall and public swimming pool were envisioned for the broader site, those elements were not completed as originally planned. The theater opened on May 23, 1951, and was immediately treated as an architectural event. Its mid-century modern exterior incorporated brick, stone, glass block, colored glass, and a metal canopy, while the tower sign gave the building a strong civic presence. The interior was similarly deliberate, with a large curtained screen, a semicircular stage, stone planters, stepped and sloped seating, specialized lighting, and finished gathering spaces. Its cooling system used cold well water to provide summer comfort at a time when residential air conditioning was rare. The building’s acoustics benefited from Celotex soundproofing, a material Liebenberg & Kaplan had also used in other significant theater projects. The Terrace operated as a regional movie palace. It attracted visitors from throughout the Twin Cities and beyond, and a 1952 guest register reportedly recorded visitors from every U.S. state then in the Union as well as other countries. The Volk brothers also operated the Nile, Camden, and Riverview theaters in Minneapolis. The Terrace emphasized access to prominent films after their downtown runs, while its large capacity and extensive parking enabled it to serve a broad suburban audience. In 1952, the theater received an international award recognizing it as an outstanding American theater. Technological modernization became part of the theater’s operating history. CinemaScope and stereophonic sound were introduced in January 1954, and 70mm equipment was installed during the 1970s. The venue also hosted special events and premieres. Its best-known cultural association is the April 1984 world premiere of Stop Making Sense, attended by David Byrne and director Jonathan Demme. The event connected the theater’s traditional role as a movie palace with the growing importance of music-film presentation. Ownership changed in 1980, when Plitt Theaters purchased the property from the Volk brothers. Midcontinent Media acquired it in 1987. Under Midcontinent’s ownership, the original auditorium was subdivided: the balcony became two smaller screening rooms, while the front retained the principal screen. The renovated venue, called the Midco Terrace, reopened with Roxanne and a low ticket price. The conversion reflected the industry’s shift toward multiplex economics, but it also compromised the unified auditorium that had been central to the building’s design significance. The theater closed in 1999 and was left vacant for roughly seventeen years. Preservationists continued to regard it as an unusually intact example of Liebenberg & Kaplan’s work. The building had been deemed eligible for National Register listing in 2004, but that eligibility period expired after ten years. In 2015 and 2016, preservation advocates pursued renewed recognition and proposed restoration for cinema, cultural, or mixed use. A National Register nomination was prepared in 2016, and supporters emphasized that original structural and architectural elements remained in place despite the vacancy. The future of the building became entangled with a redevelopment proposal for the surrounding property. Supporters of demolition argued that the vacant theater was deteriorated visually and that a grocery store would provide economic and practical benefits. Preservationists and local residents argued that the structure was sound, historically significant, and adaptable, and collected more than 2,200 signatures for a campaign to save it. A citizens’ group filed suit in August 2016 and sought emergency relief while the city and developer proceeded with the redevelopment plan. The Robbinsdale City Council approved demolition on August 23, 2016. Although legal proceedings continued, a demolition permit was obtained on September 23 and work began the following day. A temporary order briefly halted the work, but a court required the preservation group to post bonds totaling $6.3 million. The Minnesota Court of Appeals declined to reduce the bond amounts, and demolition resumed in early October after the deadline for payment passed. The theater’s reinforced concrete and steel frame resisted more than a month of work, but the building was ultimately destroyed in the fall of 2016. In December, the rooftop TERRACE letters and lobby chandeliers were transferred to the Robbinsdale Historical Society, preserving limited physical remnants. The theater site and adjoining mall property were later redeveloped for a Hy-Vee grocery store.
- 2016
Demolition approved and completed
[1]Robbinsdale approves demolition for redevelopment despite preservation efforts and litigation; the theater is demolished in the fall.
- 1999
Theater closes
[1]The Midco Terrace stops operating and the building is boarded up.
- 1987
Midcontinent Media acquisition and conversion
[1]Midcontinent Media acquires the theater and converts the single auditorium into three screens by dividing the balcony.
- 1984
Stop Making Sense world premiere
[1]The Terrace hosts the world premiere of the Talking Heads concert film Stop Making Sense, with David Byrne and Jonathan Demme present.
- 1980
Plitt Theaters acquires the venue
[1]Ownership passes from the Volk brothers to Plitt Theaters.
- 1970
70mm presentation introduced
[1]The theater is retrofitted with 70mm equipment during the 1970s; the exact installation year is not specified.
- 1954
CinemaScope and stereophonic sound installed
[1]The Terrace upgrades to widescreen CinemaScope presentation and stereophonic sound.
- 1952
National and international recognition
[1]The theater receives an international award for outstanding theater design and operation; its guest register documents visitors from across the United States and abroad.
- 1951
Terrace Theatre opens
[1]The 1,299-seat mid-century modern theater opens in Robbinsdale on May 23, becoming a major postwar suburban cinema destination.
Products and positioning
A high-capacity suburban movie palace positioned as a regional Twin Cities destination, combining first-run film exhibition with ambitious mid-century architecture, advanced projection and sound technology, and unusually extensive patron amenities.
Cinema exhibition · 1951
Terrace Theatre feature-film exhibition
The theater’s core offering was large-scale feature-film exhibition in a 1,299-seat auditorium. It positioned itself as a regional destination where audiences could see important films soon after their downtown engagements. The venue combined a large screen, curtained presentation, a semicircular stage, substantial parking, and hospitality features such as complimentary coffee and refreshments on some occasions. Its programming and scale helped make it a prominent suburban movie palace for nearly five decades.
Film presentation technology · 1954
CinemaScope and stereophonic sound
Introduced in 1954, the Terrace’s CinemaScope and stereophonic sound installation updated the venue for widescreen filmmaking and multichannel audio. The upgrade complemented the theater’s already large auditorium and reinforced its image as a technically advanced destination. The building later added 70mm capability during the 1970s, allowing it to present films in another premium large-format standard.
Multiplex cinema · 1987
Midco Terrace
Following Midcontinent Media’s 1987 acquisition, the original auditorium was reorganized into a three-screen venue. The front section retained the principal large screen, while the balcony was divided into two smaller screening rooms. Reopened under the Midco Terrace name with a showing of Roxanne and a low ticket price, the revised format reflected the industry’s movement toward multiplex operation, although it reduced the architectural unity of the original movie palace.
Marketing campaigns
- 2016Save the Terrace
Robbinsdale · Twin Cities metropolitan area
Preservationists and community residents campaigned against demolition and collected more than 2,200 petition signatures. The campaign promoted restoration of the vacant theater as a cinema, cultural venue, or mixed-use facility rather than replacing it with a grocery store.
Outcome. The city approved demolition and the building was destroyed in 2016.
Brand decisions
2016
Approve demolition for grocery-store redevelopmentStrategyBackground
The vacant theater and adjacent mall were targeted for redevelopment centered on a Hy-Vee grocery store. Preservation advocates argued that the structurally sound building retained exceptional architectural and historical value.
Action taken
The Robbinsdale City Council approved demolition, and a permit was issued despite a preservation lawsuit and emergency efforts to halt the work.
Aftermath
The theater was demolished in the fall of 2016. Some rooftop letters and lobby chandeliers were transferred to the Robbinsdale Historical Society, while the site was redeveloped for a Hy-Vee grocery store.
1987
Convert the single auditorium into three screensGeneration changeBackground
Midcontinent Media acquired the theater during a period when multiplex formats offered operators more scheduling flexibility and potentially broader film coverage.
Action taken
The balcony was divided into two smaller screening rooms while the front portion retained the original large screen.
Aftermath
The renovated Midco Terrace reopened with a low-price showing of Roxanne, but the change diminished the unified auditorium that had defined the original design. The venue closed in 1999.
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