The Dreamland theater opened in spring of 1908 on West First Street in downtown Albany, "across from Steven's Store." Audiences enjoyed a typical programming variety of the era: vaudeville, moving pictures, music/songs, and some live theatrical performances. There was a change of program on Sunday afternoons and Friday and Tuesday evenings.
The theater had one of the new Columbia Symphony Grand music machines, aka a Columbia Symphony Grand Graphophone, which was a kind of player piano, to provide automated musical accompaniment to the moving pictures.
In one alarming promotional bit, F.P. Stewart of the Dreamland promised to give away "a real live baby" on New Years Eve, 1908.
Admission was generally 10 cents for adults and 5 cents for children. Also, they promoted the fact that they had two fans running at all times.
This article highlights the fact that a theatre was going to be opening up right next door to Dreamland Theatre and it was going to be called the Wonderland Theatre. Dreamland would continue to run as a 10 cent theatre while Wonderland would run for 5 cents. They described Dreamland as the theatre that would provide ‘full programs’ while Wonderland would be offering ‘good programs’ for half the price.
After changing hands numerous times over the years, the Dreamland was finally sold and closed in October 1913.
