4 Old Vancouver Movie Theatres Locals Still Miss
Granville Street used to be Theatre Row. People lined up under the marquees on the 800 and 900 blocks, and further south on Granville, for first runs and Saturday matinees. Most of the projectors are gone now. Some of the buildings are not.
In 2012, Heritage Vancouver warned that the city’s small historic cinemas were disappearing quickly. The ones that made it usually survived by changing jobs. They became concert halls, playhouses and live venues.
This is what happened to the old movie houses you can still walk into: what they were, how they were saved or reused, and how to get through the door today. It is part history, part walking guide, and you can do most of it in an evening.
4. Plaza / Odeon Theatre, now The Pearl (Downtown)
Where: 881 Granville Street, Downtown Vancouver
When: Renamed the Odeon on March 20, 1963. Reopened as The Pearl in 2023.
Cost: Ticket prices depend on the event.
Getting there: 800 block of Granville, directly across from the Commodore.
Stand on the 800 block of Granville, across the street from the Commodore, and find 881. This was the Plaza Theatre. On March 20, 1963, it was renamed the Odeon. It held 925 seats.
When the films stopped, the building did not go dark for good. It became the Plaza nightclub, then Venue. In 2023, MODO Live, a Toronto-based content and media group, reopened it as The Pearl. Today it runs as a concert and event venue.
The building has been on the heritage radar for a while. Heritage Vancouver included the Plaza in its 2010 watch list entry on downtown Granville Street. Its survival means one more piece of Theatre Row still has people inside it at night.
The local tip is simple. Buy a ticket to a show. It is one of the easiest ways to get inside an old Theatre Row building. Prices depend on the event, so check The Pearl’s own listings first.
3. Stanley Theatre, now the Arts Club’s Stanley stage (South Granville)
Where: 2750 Granville Street, South Granville
When: Opened December 1930. Closed as a cinema in 1991. Reopened as a playhouse in October 1998.
Cost: Ticket prices depend on the Arts Club production.
Getting there: At Granville and 12th Avenue in South Granville.
The Stanley sits at 2750 Granville Street, well south of the downtown strip. It opened as a movie house in December 1930. The first film on its screen was One Romantic Night, Lillian Gish’s first talking picture.
It ran as a cinema for about six decades. Famous Players closed it in 1991 and planned to demolish it. A ‘Save our Stanley’ campaign followed. The Arts Club Theatre Company bought the building.
It reopened as a live theatre in October 1998 with the musical Swing. The result is a 1930 Vancouver movie palace with its interior still intact.
The tip: see an Arts Club show. It is the easiest way to sit inside the Stanley. Ticket prices depend on the production. Look up at the ornate ceiling once you are in your seat.
2. Vogue Theatre (Downtown)
Where: 918 Granville Street, Downtown Vancouver
When: Built in 1941. Empty from 1987 to 1992 before returning as a live venue.
Cost: Ticket prices depend on the event.
Getting there: On Granville between Smithe and Nelson streets, downtown.
The Vogue is the one with the tall vertical neon sign. It sits on Granville between Smithe and Nelson. The Odeon chain built it in 1941.
What set it apart was the stage. The Vogue was built to handle both films and live shows. That was unusual for a theatre of its time. It is also a big part of why the building still works as a venue today.
It came close to fading out. Developers bought the Vogue in 1987, and it sat empty until 1992. A later owner’s rehabilitation included restoring the landmark neon sign. According to the Vogue’s own site, it now hosts live music, cinema and events.
Come after dark. The vertical sign is the best photo spot on the street once it is lit. Shoot it from the sidewalk across Granville to get the whole thing in frame. If you want to go inside, ticket prices depend on the event.
1. Orpheum Theatre (Downtown)
Where: 884 Granville Street / 601 Smithe Street, Downtown Vancouver
When: Opened in 1927. Bought by the City on March 19, 1974. Reopened as a concert hall in 1977.
Cost: Ticket prices depend on the event.
Getting there: Main entrance on Smithe. The sign faces Granville.
The Orpheum opened in 1927 as a vaudeville house and movie palace. For many years it was Canada’s largest theatre. Its sign faces Granville, but the main entrance is around the corner on Smithe.
The story here is how close it came to being chopped up. Its owner, Famous Players, planned to split it into a multiplex. On March 19, 1974, the City of Vancouver bought the building instead. It reopened in 1977 as the home of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra.
That purchase is why you can still sit under its domed ceiling. The mural up there was painted during the 1970s restoration by the theatre’s original decorator. Most movie palaces of that size did not get a second career this grand. The Canadian Encyclopedia entry is a good short read before you go.
To see the interior, buy a ticket to a concert. Prices depend on the event. If you are just walking Theatre Row, the Granville Street sign is an easy stop, and it sits a short walk from the Vogue and The Pearl.
Walk what’s left of Theatre Row
The downtown three sit close together on the 800 and 900 blocks of Granville. You can see them in one short walk.
- The Pearl at 881 Granville, on the 800 block near the Commodore.
- The Orpheum, with its sign on Granville and its entrance on Smithe.
- The Vogue at 918 Granville, between Smithe and Nelson.
The Stanley is a separate trip south, at Granville and 12th Avenue.
When to go
Go after dark if you want photos. The Vogue’s neon sign is at its best once it is lit. Go on a show night if you want to get inside. Each of these buildings is now a live venue, so the doors open for events.
Where you can still sit inside
None of these four shows films the way it used to. All four are live venues inside former movie houses. The Stanley runs Arts Club productions. The Orpheum hosts the symphony. The Vogue and The Pearl host concerts and events.
Find old photos yourself
The City of Vancouver Archives holds hundreds of catalogued theatre records. Look for views of the 800 and 900 blocks of Granville Street (Theatre Row) at night. They are a good way to compare the street then and now before your walk.
Etiquette and planning
- Take your building photos from the public sidewalk.
- Ticket prices depend on the event or production, so check the venue’s listing before you head out.
- The interiors are working venues, so the way in is a ticket, not a walk-in. Some shows, especially at The Pearl, are 19+, so check the age limit on the listing.
| Former cinema | What it is now | How you get in | Where to check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plaza / Odeon | The Pearl, concert and event venue | Ticket to an event | thepearlvancouver.com |
| Vogue | Live music, cinema and events | Ticket to an event | voguetheatre.com |
| Orpheum | Home of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra | Ticket to a concert | Venue event listings |
| Stanley | Arts Club Theatre Company stage | Ticket to an Arts Club production | artsclub.com |
The movies left Granville Street, but these buildings stayed. The Orpheum was saved by a city purchase. The Stanley was saved by a campaign and a theatre company. The Vogue and The Pearl found new lives as stages. Walk the strip after dark, then buy a ticket to something. It is the closest you will get to lining up outside the old Theatre Row again.
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Photo credits
- Vancouver 1981 – Brill trolleybuses southbound on the Granville Mall at Smithe St.jpg by Steve Morgan, CC BY-SA 4.0 (combined into a montage, cropped). Via Wikimedia Commons.
- Vogue Theater Vancouver 02.jpg by Xicotencatl, CC BY-SA 3.0 (combined into a montage, cropped). Via Wikimedia Commons.
- Orpheum Theatre Vancouver View From Stage.jpg by MichaelThoeny, CC BY-SA 3.0 (combined into a montage, cropped). Via Wikimedia Commons.
- Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage 2025.jpg by Canmenwalker, CC BY 4.0 (combined into a montage, cropped). Via Wikimedia Commons.
