Grand Lake Theatre

Category: Entertainment

"Built in 1926, the Grand Lake was one of three movie palaces, along with the Fox and the Paramount, that locals visited to escape their woes during the Depression. In addition to films, the theater also featured live concerts. It's similar in design and feel to the Castro, although it's a lot more glitzy, better maintained, and runs first-run films rather than Bette Davis classics on its multiple screens. You can still experience the old-time grandeur at the weekly Wurlitzer mini-concert in the main auditorium, every Friday and Saturday night, when it rises up out of the floor, along with the organist, who plays a short set of show tunes before the movie begins. The theater is well-known for the progressive political messages that appear on its marquee. Four hours of free parking are available at a nearby lot."