Overview

The $1 million theatre opened in September 1930, heralded as the finest theatre in the American Southwest. The 2,490-seat theatre opened with Follow Thru (1930)  starring Charles “Buddy” Rogers and Nancy Carroll.

Auditorium from Stage

The Publix theatre chain, who built the theatre, noted at the Plaza’s opening that while there were larger theatres in the country under the chain’s group of 1,500 theatres, there were none finer than the new El Paso Theatre, and none that boasted a patio, a space for patrons to congregate featuring an artificially moonlit sky with moving clouds and twinkling stars, a fountain, rustic benches with artificial shrubbery and flowers, all looking out towards a 30ft by 15ft (9.1m by 4.5m) mural replicating the effect of looking out over a Spanish town. The mural was designed by Chas. M. Fox, Publix interior decorator.

According to the theatre’s listing on the National Register of Historic Places, supporting the mezzanine and balcony of the theatre is an "I" beam, claimed to be the largest single piece of steel in the state. Built by the Mosher Steel Company of Dallas, the beam measures 70ft (21.3m) in length and 8ft (2.4m) in depth. The 48-ton beam was transported to El Paso in three cars on the Texas Pacific Railroad.

The auditorium ceiling featured 1,500 twinkling stars along with moving clouds, projected by electric lamps. One newspaper report mentions “moving birds” however this seems unlikely. The walls were enriched with climbing roses, and [painted] cypress trees flanked the balcony.

The theatre closed at the end of May 1974. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places, and the local Texas register of historic places, in the Summer of 1987.

During the 1990s the local community agitated to restore the theatre. In 2000, the restoration effort was designated as an official project of Save America’s Treasures . From 2000-2004 a variety of federal, state, and local grants were acquired to help with the project.

Following a renovation costing nearly $38 million the Plaza reopened in mid-March 2006. The first performance was “Riverdance” which played to several days of sold-out performances. The re-seated auditorium configuration seats 2,050.

The Plaza Theatre holds weekly tours, open to the public on Tuesdays at 12pm. For further information on tours of the Plaza Theatre, or if you have a group of 15 or more, please call us at (915) 534-0600 .