The Bay Theater

I've developed a degree of interest in vintage movie theaters.  Once commonplace they are becoming rara avis.  On a trip to Ashland Wisconsin a few weeks back I ran across this gem. 

Behold The Bay Theater.  And while it does not exactly overlook Chequamegon Bay of Lake Michigan, you can see it from the corner.  You can find a thumbnail history at Cinema Treasures.

In the first half of the 20th Century the not particularly large town of Ashland had four movie theaters of which The Bay, built in 1937, is the only survivor.  Here's what it looked like in 1963.  A fancy, substantial front paired with a rather more workaday main section.  The wall of the latter currently has a nice mural of area military service men and women.

Once a single 650 seat theater it has now been split up into six screens.  That allows them to show a variety of features.  When I walked past on a drizzly afternoon there were parents bringing small children in for a matinee.

I hope they read the signs carefully before selecting which room to enter......