McMenamins Theater-Pubs - Portland, Oregon, USA
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Stumble It!Portland, Oregon Travel Guide
McMenamins Theater-Pubs
When you need a time-out from sight-seeing, your money is low and you just want to kick back and relax, head for the nearest McMenamins.
Brothers Mike and Brian McMenamin, to whom Portlanders pay homage with every toast of McMenamins' locally brewed ales, have combined two popular pastimes: beer and movies. Unlike most chains, each of their renovated or restored hotels, theaters and pubs tells a unique story that is woven into the historical tapestry of the Portland metro area. Their combination of good food, excellent brews and popular cult classics and second-run movies at great prices give their theater-pubs a relaxed family-style atmosphere that you just can't get at a multiplex. All the McMenamins theater pubs have over-21 policies, but many allow minors through their doors for matinée and first showings if they are accompanied by a parent.
Click here to view all theater schedules. Or visit McMenamins home page.
Bagdad Theater & Pub
3702 SE Hawthorne Blvd.
Portland, OR 97214
(503) 225-5555 ext. 8831
Admission: $3
Built in 1927, the Bagdad Theater is listed on the National Register of Historic Places in Multnomah County. Originally, it was a key venue for both first-run movies and vaudeville shows and brought a middle-eastern flavor to the city with its interior and exterior designs. But when television edged out vaudeville in the 1940s, the theater switched to a film-only schedule with only one screen. In 1991, the McMenamin Brothers restored the theater and added a pub, making the Bagdad a popular Portland venue once again. The Bagdad now shows second-run movies for only a few bucks.
Mission Theater
1624 NW Glisan
Portland, OR
(503) 225-5555 ext. 8832
Admission: $3
The Mission's mission began in the early 1890s as a place of worship and spiritual fervor for the Swedish Evangelical Mission. It was the site where missionaries of the church planned pilgrimages to the Far East, and music from the Swedish Bell Ringers rang out across the city. The church later moved to a larger space and the building became a meeting place for the Longshoreman's Union. Then in 1987, McMenamins renovated it and changed its mission to bringing nightly entertainment to the denizens of Portland. The Mission Theater is a popular venue for beer drinking, popular second-run movies and sporting events. On Saturday afternoons, cheer on your favorite college football teams, and catch Monday Night Football on the big screen, free of charge.
Kennedy School Theater
5736 NE 33rd
Portland, OR
(503) 225-5555 ext. 8833
Admission: $3
This Italian villa was founded as an elementary school in 1915 and, when school was not in session, acted as a popular gathering spot in Northeast Portland neighborhood. Then after a 17-year absence, McMenamins bought and restored the old school to its proper place as a community gathering spot. In addition to second-run movies and a pub, the place also acts as a hotel with 35 guest rooms, The Courtyard Restaurant, a brewery and meeting and event spaces.
Powerstation Theater at Edgefield
2126 SW Halsey
Troutdale, OR
(503) 225-5555 ext. 8834
Admission: $3
The Edgefield estate was originally built in 1911 and served as the Multnomah County Poor Farm, where people who were down on their luck could work for room and board. Edgefield is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and its renovated rooms still send travelers back in time. In addition to the theater showing second-run movies, the estates also features a vineyard and wine tasting room; brewery; distillery; 18-hole, par-3 golf course; restaurants; specialty bars; gardens and a gift shop.
Compass Room Theater at Grand Lodge
3505 Pacific Ave.
Forest Grove, OR
(503) 225-5555 ext. 8835
Admission: $3
In 1922, Grand Lodge began in Forest Grove as a Masonic and Eastern Star Home for the aged, infirm, poor and/or distressed Master Masons and their widows and orphans. (Although, because of clashes between the orphans and the elderly, the orphans were moved to outside families in 1927.) In 1999, the Masons moved to a new office and meeting facility, and McMenamins became the new owner. After renovation, the newly refurbished Grand Lodge opened to the public in 2000. In addition to the second-run movie theater, Grand Lodge also offers lodging, specialty bars, a day spa and tasting rooms.
St. Johns Dome Theater NEW!
8203 N. Ivanhoe
Portland, OR
(503) 225-5555 ext. 8836
Admission: $3
McMenamins' latest addition to their theater-pub chain is St. John's Pub, which opened November 16, 2002. This compact palace with its impressive cupola and pillared portico began its colorful history in 1905, when tens of thousands of World's Fair-goers flooded the auditorium to experience motion pictures for the first time. In 1906, the dome bobbed down the Willamette River on a huge barge as it was relocated to its new home at St. John's. It then became the First Congregational Church, then later became St. John's Lutheran Church. It continued its transformation from American Legion Post #98, to a scandalous bingo hall, to a venue for "rollicking wakes conducted by local Gypsies" and finally Duffy's Irish Pub in 1988. The building has undergone so many physical transformations, that the dome is the only part of the building reminding us of its turbulent past. Now in the hands of McMenamins, the theater-pub is still a popular spot to knock back a brewsky and watch popular second-run movies.
