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Please note that donations to the Merced Theatre Foundation are tax deductable.

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    Become a Partner

    The Merced Theatre Foundation Inc. invites you to become part of this exciting transformation by becoming a Merced Theatre partner. Simply fill out this form and click submit.

    You will receive

    • A quarterly newsletter
    • Updates on the Restoration of the Merced Theatre
    • Invitation to Foundation events
    • Notices of Theatre events
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      Our Tenants

       Historic Photographs


      View of Stage and Proscenium

      View of south wall

      View of north wall

      View of ceiling under balcony and seating

       


      The Merced Theatre 1934

      The Merced Theatre opened on October 31st , 1931 with the world premier of Local Boy Makes Good staring Joe E. Brown. The building was constructed over the previous nine months at a cost of $380,000.00. For the next 47 years it would serve the Merced community in a wide variety of ways including concerts, graduations, dance  performances, weddings and of course, movies. It was and still is treasured by the people of Merced County. The Tower is the most recognized landmark in Merced.

      The Theatre was  designed by the Reid Brothers , prestigious  architects from San Francisco  for the Golden State Theatre  Corporation, and boasted 1,645 seats with the first air conditioning for any building in the County. The City of Merced had a  population of only 7,066 at the time. We believe the Theatre is the last project completed by the Reid Brothers as one of them died 3 months after the opening. The Theatre building includes five retail spaces  and ten second-floor apartments on the Main Street frontage.

      What made the Theatre so special was the Theatre's interior.  Sitting in the  Theatre was like being in a Spanish castle  courtyard with blue skies and even a cloud machine. 

      In 2002 the City of Merced Redevelopment Agency purchased the    Theatre Building. Since that time the Merced Theatre Foundation    has leased the Theatre from the City and is responsible for day to day operations. Theatre two remained operational for several years and the Foundation held monthly movies and other events by arrangement.

      Funding for this Project has been provided in part by the California Cultural and Historical Endowment.

      History of Merced

      Merced is a city in, and the county seat of, Merced County, California in the San Joaquin Valley of Northern California.

      As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 78,958. Incorporated in 1889, Merced is a charter city that operates under a council-manager government. It is named after the Merced River, which flows nearby.

      Merced, known as the "Gateway to Yosemite", is less than two hours by automobile from Yosemite National Park to the east and Monterey Bay, the Pacific Ocean, and several beaches to the west.

      The community is served by the rail passenger service Amtrak, a major airline through Merced Regional Airport, and three bus lines.

      It is approximately 110 miles (180 km) from Sacramento, 130 miles (210 km) from San Francisco, and 270 miles (430 km) from Los Angeles.

      In 2005, the city became home to the tenth University of California campus, University of California, Merced (UCM), the first research university built in the U.S. in the 21st century.