The Laurelhurst Theater in Northeast Portland opened its doors for the first time in late 1923. The building, designed by the Charles W. Ertz company, built by the Van Etten Company, and originally owned by G. O. Garrison, cost $30,000 to construct, and included a $15,000 pipe organ. The original model of the theater could seat 700. In 1925, the price of admission was 25 cents, 10 cents for children.
The theater was named for its proximity to the Laurelhurst District, a restricted upper-class housing development. The location was at the heart of Portland's growing east side, served by the Central East Side streetcar. Shortly after its opening, the Sunday Oregonian described it as "One of the most up-to-date motion-picture houses in Portland's suburbs."
The theater has undergone several renovations in its hundred-year history, starting in 1938 with a renovation advertised as "an amazing transformation" with "Ultra-modern appointments and surroundings." As times changed, Laurelhurst was updated to a four-screen theater. In 2000, the theater was purchased by childhood friends Woody Wheeler and Prescott Allen. Nowadays, the theater shows new films, and offers freshly made pizza and locally-brewed beer in the lobby.
