The Mishler Theatre is a Beaux-Arts

stage Stage or stages may refer to: Acting * Stage (theatre), a space for the performance of theatrical productions * Theatre, a branch of the performing arts, often referred to as "the stage" * ''The Stage'', a weekly British theatre newspaper * Sta ...

and movie theater located at 1208 Twelfth Avenue in

Altoona, Pennsylvania Altoona is a city in Blair County, Pennsylvania. It is the principal city of the Altoona Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). The population was 43,963 at the time of the 2020 Census, making it the eighteenth most populous city in Pennsylvania. T ...

."Marker Details: Charles Mishler"
ExplorePAHistory.com. ''Note:'' This includes

History

It was designed by Albert E. Westover and built by local theatre owner and manager Isaac Charles Mishler and opened on February 15, 1906. Nine months later, the neighboring Rothert building caught fire, which quickly spread to the theater, destroying the interior. The theater was rebuilt and re-opened in 1907. In 1924, Isaac Mishler announced his retirement and later sold the theatre in 1931. After disuse in the mid-20th century, the theatre was considered for demolition in 1965. In response, the Altoona Community Theatre and the Blair County Arts Foundation purchased it and began renovations. When the theatre reopened in 1969, their inaugural performance was ''

The Sound of Music ''The Sound of Music'' is a musical with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, and a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. It is based on the 1949 memoir of Maria von Trapp, ''The Story of the Trapp Family Singers''. S ...

''."A Brief History"
, the Altoona Community Theatre. It was added to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

in 1973, and is located in the

Downtown Altoona Historic District Downtown Altoona Historic District is a national Historic district (United States), historic district located at Altoona, Pennsylvania, Altoona, Blair County, Pennsylvania. The district includes 240 contributing buildings in the central business ...

Restoration

Early renovations included replacement of the seats and the lobby's chandelier with the new one purchased in 1970 at a

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded on April 17, 1924 ...

auction. Major structural,

plumbing Plumbing is any system that conveys fluids for a wide range of applications. Plumbing uses pipes, valves, plumbing fixtures, tanks, and other apparatuses to convey fluids. Heating and cooling (HVAC), waste removal, and potable water deliv ...

, and

electrical Electricity is the set of physical phenomena associated with the presence and motion of matter that has a property of electric charge. Electricity is related to magnetism, both being part of the phenomenon of electromagnetism, as described ...

work began in the early 1990s. At the most recent estimate, the restoration has cost more than $1 million.

References

External links

BCAF's photo gallery of the Mishler Theatre.
* {{National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania Theatres on the National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania Buildings and structures in Altoona, Pennsylvania Tourist attractions in Blair County, Pennsylvania Historic American Buildings Survey in Pennsylvania Altoona, Pennsylvania National Register of Historic Places in Blair County, Pennsylvania Cinemas and movie theaters in Pennsylvania Individually listed contributing properties to historic districts on the National Register in Pennsylvania Theatres completed in 1906 1906 establishments in Pennsylvania