Minot Theatre

Downtown Minot
Minot, ND

(Several theaters existed in downtown Minot. The Minot Theatre was probably either the Empire Theater, the Town Theater or the Arcade Theater).
Builder: Wurlitzer
Manuals: 2
Ranks: 5
Action: Electro-pneumatic

Notes: Wurlitzer "Style B Special" (special because it had a Tibia Clausa and Chrysoglott instead of Glockenspiel). Factory date 08/10/26. Relocated to Rialto Theatre, Minneapolis, MN (no date known). Relocated to Eric Reeve Residence, Minot, ND (date unknown). Organ Historical Society as of 2015.

The Empire (Minot) was located next to the Thomas Funeral Home. It was one of the last theaters of its type with the screen situated as it was, behind you as you enter the theater itself. The Empire also had a balcony. At times various churches used the Empire Theater for their services when their church was going through construction or other mishaps. I believe the Empire also held “live’ concerts at one time. The site is now a parking lot for Trinity Hospital.

The Arcade Theater had a pipe organ installed in 1915. The Arcade Theatre was located at 22 South Main Street and opened December 12, 1907 with movies and some live acts by Emerson & Son. In 1915, John Amick took over for Emerson & Son installing a pipe organ and relaunching the new Arcade Theatre on November 17, 1915. Phil Myers followed by Dick V. Baasen then took on the theatre running both it and Minot’s Strand Theatre. Baasen apparently decided to close the theatre at the end of twenty years of leasing as the Arcade appears to have not made the transition to sound..

The Town Theater history. Originally known as the Lyceum Theatre, it became the Strand Theatre in the early-1920’s. It was located on Main Street South at First Avenue SE. Seating was listed at 461. The Strand Theatre was operated by Publix and Minnesota Amusement Co. The theatre became the Town Theatre in the mid-1950’s.