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Peg Price | all galleries >> Galleries >> Historic Tucson > Buena Vista Theatre
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5 February 2008 Peg Price

Buena Vista Theatre

251 W. Wilmot

Soon to be demolished and replaced with a 101-room Hampton Inn.
I believe the theatre dates back to the 1970's.

Summer 2008: The Buena Vista has been demolished. The lot sits empty at this time.


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Tom 06-Oct-2014 00:25
This place was on a madhouse on Saturday mornings in the late 60's and early 70's. Mostly Disney movies with a cartoon or two. Admission was 25 cents. I remember seeing The Gnome Mobile, The Love Bug, The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes, Swiss Family Robinson, Lady and the Tramp, and 101 Dalmatians.
Sydney H 15-May-2011 13:15
When I was in elementry school my mother would drop me and my sister @ The Buena Vista so we can watch Disney movies. The place was ALWAYS packed with kids during Saturday Matinees. I remember we were dropped off with someother kids to see The Swiss Family Robinson. When we got to the ticket booth they were sold out. I stared to cry, one of the employees (could be manager) got me and my sister and friends in, but we sat separately. I loved going to the movies when I was younger! Today, yoiu have the kids that are disrespetful and have no manners.

I love Tucson
Chris 05-Jul-2009 20:53
I have 2 fond memories of this Theater. My car had broke down and I had my wife and 2 very young daughters with me. We walked over to the Theater and they allowed my family to wait inside while I ran home to get our other car. We lived at GolfLinks and Pantano so it took sometime but I was in the Army and was in good shape. The staff was friendly and made my family feel safe while they waited for me. JFK was the last movie I saw at this theater that was in 1991.
knobdice04-Nov-2008 06:02
I worked at the Buena Vista Theater during the summer of 1990 after I graduated from Salpointe Catholic High School. What a great job to have in between high school and college. The movies that I can remember showing there were "Ghost" with Demi Moore and Patrick Swayze, "Days of Thunder" with Tom Cruise, and Spike Lee's "Mo Better Blues". The consession stand won an award for one of the cleanest food venues in town that year. The multiplexes in town killed off the small theaters for sure. Too bad because I loved this place.
Daniel 06-Sep-2008 08:44
I remember seeing 'Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back' here in 82 (?)
The line was wrapped completely around the building.

Later, it closed as a movie theater and reopened as a concert venue (early 90s)
I saw a 'Nine Inch Nails' concert here in the mid 90s.
Tom 11-Aug-2008 04:46
I'm pretty sure this theater opened in 1967. I saw a number of movies there when I was in my teens.
Guest 29-Jul-2008 16:19
The theater was still up and running I would guesstimate around 1991. There are pictures in my sister's yearbook that shows it was popular hang out. Pueblo High School '92'
Guest 12-Jun-2008 19:57
I believe that it was up and running as a single screen in the mid 60's, as that was one of the theater that was frequented my senior year in High School, and that was 1967.

Sorry to see it go.

Bill B.
PVHS '67