Tower Theatre Celebrates Reopening, Birthday With Film Screening

A historic staple in Oklahoma is celebrating a milestone this weekend. The Tower Theatre opened in 1937 and, after being shut down for the last three decades, is reopening its doors to the public soon.

The Tower Theater is holding a celebration to honor its long standing history. They'll show "The Sound of Music" in the parking lot across the street from the theater on Saturday at 8 p.m. for free. The film is a crucial part in the theater's history. It ran for 82 weeks in the theater back in 1965 and soon became the longest running film in Oklahoma history.

“Over 200,000 people saw that,” said managing partner Stephen Tyler, “so it’s always had that underlying history of the place where people go see film.”

The theater is currently in its final phase of construction and will soon be open to the public. They've undergone several renovations, including redoing the balcony, the rotunda, and even leveling the sloped floor.

The theater will host a variety of events from concerts to movies to even a craft beer festival. Managing partners are confident the theater can fill a void in Oklahoma City.

“OKC is in the middle of a fun resurgence,” said managing partner Chad Whitehead, “and the city is growing and so are the needs and expectations of the populace. So we hope that Tower Theatre has a huge impact on OKC and particularly the Uptown 23rd neighborhood.”