Prior to 2012 renovation.
Adjacent building with electronic marquee serves as lobby for renovated theatre.
The movie showing is College Scandal.
Note the "cooled by washed air" banner advertising air conditioning.
Bur-Mil employees and their families at a Christmas party.
Showing Your Cheatin' Heart with George Hamilton as Hank Williams.
In a brief incarnation as "The Flick."
Read the Landmark Designation Report
Read the Lanmark Designation Resolution
Read a history of the Sunset Theatre
The Sunset Theatre in downtown Asheboro is the city's one remaining theatre house.Built in 1929, the Sunset was the first structure built in Asheboro for the sole purpose of showing movies, and one of the first in the state designed for "talking pictures." The theatre is an example of a "Moorish Picture Palace" designed in the Spanish Colonial Revival style popular in southern California. Both the exterior and interior of the theatre retain a high degree of originality. The storefront has been redesigned several times underneath three different marquees. After its run as a movie house ended in 1981, the building served variously as a church and performance center. In 2005, the City of Asheboro purchased and stabilized the structure, and began featuring concerts and movies. In 2011, after a planning process that focused on how renovations could meet the needs of local performing arts groups, the city carried out a capital campaign to raise $1.3 million to convert the theatre into a downtown performing arts center. The theatre opened in its new incarnation in 2012.
The Sunset Theatre's rich history rekindles vivid memories for many area residents. As the local entertainment epicenter, it was the destination for a first date, a family night out, an anniversary celebration or other special occasion. In recent years, many budding local performers have had their first acting experiences on the stage, with their families watching from the audience.
