The theater started off as the Tonawama Opera House which opened in December 1911 on the second floor of the new Times-Herald building. Then in October of 1912 a photo of the Times Herald building, naming Tonawama Theatre as a tenant was published. Originally a playhouse, with its own stock company, the Tonawama started playing films in January 1913. The American Motion Picture Directory 1914-15 listed the Tonawama Theatre which was nothing too special admittedly. The Tonowama Theatre then dropped out of the Times-Herald in January 1918, about the time the Liberty Theatre opened, and began to be referred to as the Tonawama building. In September 2022 the building, named the Burnstowne Apartments, was undergoing renovations with the corrugated metal siding being removed.
Known Years of Operation
Oct 6, 1912 - Jan 6, 1918Number of Seats
50Owner/Managers
UnknownAdditional Facts
- It started as an opera house before it changed into a theater in 1912
- Admission was about 15 and 25 cents, sometimes changing for certain shows
Tonawama Tonight
Tonawama Tonight Picture Program
Tonawama Tonight Local Ad
Works Cited
Tonawama Theatre in Burns, OR - Cinema treasures. (n.d.). https://cinematreasures.org/theaters/67687
The Times-herald. (Burns, Harney County, Or.) 1896-1929 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 14, 1914)
The Times-herald. (Burns, Harney County, Or.) 1896-1929 | View Entire Issue (July 18, 1914)
The Times-herald. (Burns, Harney County, Or.) 1896-1929 | View Entire Issue (July 25, 1914)