Historic Theater Reopenings in Northern California and the West
Bringing an older theater back into public use involves decisions about its purpose as well as the building itself. The work can range from improving a neighborhood screening room to rehabilitating a building for live performance.
Sequoia Cinema: A Neighborhood Screen Returns
The Sequoia in downtown Mill Valley reopened on May 20, 2024, following a closure that began the previous October when Cinemark's lease expired. KQED's reopening report described six months of work by the California Film Institute: upgraded projectors and sound equipment, along with a refurbished lobby.
Renamed Sequoia Cinema, the venue marked its return with four days of classic films. The opening program included Vertigo, The Wizard of Oz and Back to the Future.
The California Film Institute, also known as CAFILM, had purchased the property in 2008 before taking over management and operation in May 2024. The theater had first opened on February 21, 1929, as a single-screen cinema with 1,200 seats.
CAFILM is a nonprofit dedicated to film and media arts. Its wider work includes the Mill Valley Film Festival and DocLands Documentary Film Festival. The organization identifies sponsors, foundations, donors and members as support for its programs.
The Holly: A Performing Arts Venue in Medford
The nonprofit JPR Foundation purchased the Holly in 2011 with the aim of saving a local landmark and creating a regional cultural venue. The foundation also supports Jefferson Public Radio, Southern Oregon's NPR affiliate.
The Holly's official history records completion of the rehabilitation in early 2025, crediting hundreds of construction workers and local specialty artisans. With 1,008 seats, the Holly is described by the venue as the largest indoor performing arts space between Eugene, Oregon, and Redding, California.
Management rests with Jefferson Live, a self-supporting division of the foundation that also manages the Cascade Theatre in Redding.
The Plaza: City Ownership, Nonprofit Operation
The Plaza Theatre in Palm Springs reopened in December 2025 after being closed for more than a decade. The National Trust for Historic Preservation's Summer 2026 account reports a $40.3 million rehabilitation, partly funded by the city.
The city owns the building, while the nonprofit Palm Springs Plaza Theatre Foundation operates the 700-seat venue. Support included $18 million from private donors, a $2.5 million state grant and $7.2 million in funding from federal historic tax credits.
Most of the budget went toward the theater's infrastructure, including a full seismic upgrade, new electrical wiring and new plumbing. The reopened venue accommodates classic movies and live performances, including the Palm Springs Symphony.