Overview

The 1,500-seat Uptown Theatre opened in mid-July 1928 with The Jazz Singer (1927)  starring Al Jolson.

The $250,000 theatre was constructed by the George H. Siedhoff Construction company, with interior decoration by the L.A. McAlister Decorating Company.

At its opening, the auditorium was described as having Venician [sic] garden scenes on the side walls, including recesses with “garden effects” lit by invisible lights, with twinkling stars and floating clouds bringing about the general feeling of the outdoors. The stone-effect Pescemin arc [sic] (proscenium arch) appeared “heavy and massive” and was reminiscent of the entrance to an old barbaric castle. The organ grilles were styled as balconies and adorned with statues, vases, vines, and flowers.

The balcony sat 250 and the remaining 1,250 seats were on main floor level, a large square room at 100ft wide and 110 feet deep (30.5m by 33.5m). The 3-manual organ was manufactured by the Reuter Organ Company, with the console on a hydraulic lift.

The theatre closed in early September 1961 so it could be extensively remodeled for Cinerama. It reopened as the 832-seat New Uptown Theatre in late October 1961, running 3-strip Cinerama projected onto a 74ft by 26ft (22.6m by 7.9m) screen with an arc of 146 degrees. The contractor for the $140,000 remodel was the John Neely Construction Company of Wichita.

The theatre closed in mid-July 1976, the last screening of End of the Game (1975)  on 13th July being attended by just eight patrons.

The theatre was subsequently remodeled as a dinner theatre, reopening in mid-July 1977 as the Crown Uptown Dinner Theatre.

In mid-June 2017 the theatre was bought by Mike Garvey, leader of Builders Inc.  who had purchased the Mark Arts building within the previous year and expected there would be synergy between the two buildings. The theatre underwent a remodel which included the installation of modern sound and lighting systems and acoustic panels on the auditorium ceiling.

In mid-2019, Jim Basham, who had managed the theatre for Mike Garvey since June 2017, bought the theatre and hoped to add more theatre-style shows to the staple events of concerts, banquets, and weddings.

In 2023, Jim Basham sold the theatre to Tulsa businessman Mike Brown. In December 2024, Brown’s proposal to increase the theatre’s occupancy from 850 to 2,066 was rejected due to concerns about fire safety and parking. A further application in February 2025 was also denied. The following day, Mike Brown applied for a wrecking permit. In March 2025 the Wichita City Council voted for a 180-day interim control period extension, giving the city and the owner more time to find alternative solutions to demolition.