Dunbar Theatre

1007 N. Cleveland, Wichita, Kansas. County/parish: Sedgwick.

Added to the National Register of Historic Places July 02, 2008. NRIS 08000615.

1 contributing building.

Also known as:

  • Dunbar Theatre

From Wikipedia:

Dunbar Theatre (Kansas)

The Dunbar Theatre is a movie theater in Wichita, Kansas, United States. Opened in 1941, it was named after an American author Paul Laurence Dunbar. It is listed in the National Register of Historic Places since July 2, 2008, and the Kansas State Registry of Historic Places. It is located at 1007 N Cleveland St. in the McAdams Neighborhood, which is a historically African-American Neighborhood.

During the 1940s, the Dunbar Theatre was not only a destination for entertainment but also a center of the McAdams neighborhood, providing a welcoming place for African-Americans who faced segregation elsewhere in the city. Located at the intersection of 9th and Cleveland streets, the theatre was a central gathering place for locals to socialize and enjoy themselves. It became a symbol of not just a building but also a sense of community.

There is a plan to renovate the theatre and transform it into a cultural performing arts center, with expanded space for promotion of the arts and education.

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LC