Rick Steves buys 100-year-old Edmonds Theater to preserve local cinema
Rick Steves buys the Edmonds Theater
Travel icon and Washington resident Rick Steves announced he had purchased the Edmonds Theater.
EDMONDS, Wash. - Travel author and celebrity Rick Steves has purchased the century-old Edmonds Theater in Snohomish County, securing the landmark venue's future as a local community hub.
Steves, an Edmonds native, bought the historic single-screen theater to protect it from closure and preserve film culture along Main Street.
Preserving a century of Edmonds history
Originally built in 1916 as the Union Theater, the venue changed ownership and names over several decades before officially becoming the Edmonds Theater in 1979.
The venue stands as a local cultural mainstay, offering residents a dedicated space for cinema for more than 100 years.
Protecting local film culture
Steves explained that his decision to purchase the property stemmed from a desire to safeguard the theater's place in the community.
"As a neighbor, I think I can speak for all of us when I say we love our Edmonds Theater and we’d be sad to see it close," Steves said. "Notice I said ‘our’ theater, that’s because I’ve purchased this 100-year-old theater to ensure that it will continue to grace Main Street here – right in our town – well into the future. I’m happy to announce that this theater will stay part of our community."
Special screening and community celebration
Beginning Friday and running throughout the week, the venue will feature a special documentary titled "The Last Picture Show." The film highlights the widespread financial struggles and closures facing independent, small-town movie theaters across the United States.
To mark the acquisition, the theater will throw a celebration party alongside a free screening of the documentary on Monday, where Steves will join community members to celebrate the venue's new chapter.
The Source: Information in this article came from original reporting on Good Day Seattle.
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