Mack Theater

The Mack Theater was opened in 1941 by the Mattecheck brothers, who also owned McMinnville's Lark and Gaity theaters. The space the Mack occupied had seen ongoing renovations since the 1930s, being an extension of the Cook Hotel, which the Mattechecks also owned. The theater was constructed with a single screening room, which upon opening boasted "the latest in R.C.A. high fidelity sound equipment" as well as a maximum 500-seat occupancy. The theater showed a variety of films and was also used as a venue for live entertainment, including a production of Oregon Passage in 1959, and events celebrating local history. The Mattechecks contributed numerous film reviews to Boxoffice, one of America's most prominent exhibitor trade papers in the post-World War II era, which they often used to highlight the Mack. As the theater's prime years as a luxury movie palace faded, management switched focus to second-run discount showings during the 1990s, before finally closing the Mack's doors in 2006. Costs of maintenance outpacing any revenue being generated was given as the primary reason behind this decision. For nearly two decades the location went unused, gradually falling into disrepair. Then, in 2023, a project aimed at renovating the Mack Theater was awarded a grant offered by Oregon's State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO). A goal has been set for reopening the Mack as a fully functioning theater sometime in 2025.