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Overview

The Spanish Colonial Revival style movie palace, the Varsity Theatre #2, operated as a film exhibition space from 1927 until 1994. Landmark Theatres, a chain founded in Los Angeles known for its exhibition of first-run "art," foreign and highly-regarded re-released films, managed the Varsity #2 during the 1987-1994 span.

Building History

This was the second Varsity Theatre to operate in Palo Alto, CA. Beginning in 1912, the Varsity Theatre #1 operated at 263 University Avenue in Palo Alto, and this theatre continued operating into 1927.

The Reid Brothers, a San Francisco-based architectural firm, designed the Varsity #2, for the Peninsula Theatres Corporation, a subordinate part of the West Coast Theatres chain. Construction on the Spanish Colonial Revival building began in 02/1927, and concluded by about 08/22/1927. An article in the Daily Palo Alto Times reported that the theatre's interior was largely complete on this date: “Painters and decorators today completed work on the interior of the New Varsity Theatre, a $100,000 cinema playhouse located on University avenue near Cowper street, and workmen simultaneously finished the task of installing 1,000 opera chairs. Little remains to be done to make the new theatre ready for its formal opening early next month. Drapes and stage fixtures will be installed this week by the Armstrong-Powers Studios of San Francisco, and experts from the Seeburg-Smith organ works are preparing to assemble a large orchestral organ. The new playhouse replaces the old Varsity Theatre, located on University avenue between Bryant and Ramona streets, which pioneered the amusement field here some 15 years ago. It will be operated by Ellis J. Arkush Entertainment, Inc., which maintains the New Stanford Theatre in Palo Alto, the Peninsula Theatre in Burlingame, the Regent in San Mateo, and the Sequoia in Redwood City.” (See “Varsity Theatre Interior Is Completed,” Daily Palo Alto Times, 08/22/1927, p. 8.)

The New Varsity debuted with an early screening of the First National Pictures, Incorporated's silent film, "Rose of the Golden West," starring Mary Astor and Gilbert Roland on 09/26/1927. According to the Cinema Treasures.org website, the auditorium seated 975 people. (See Cinema Treasures.org, "Varsity Theatre 456 University Avenue, Palo Alto, CA 94301," accessed 05/14/2025.)

The Varsity #2 exhibited films until 1994, when the facility closed. It became a Border's Bookstore beginning in 1996, before it closed in 09/2011, along with bankruptcy of the entire chain. (See Palo Alto Online.com, "Palo Alto Borders bookstore to close," published 07/18/2011, accessed 05/14/2025.) It then became a combined co-working space, HanaHaus, owned by the German software company SAP, and the Blue Bottle Coffee House, named for Vienna's first café, by 03/2015. The Blue Bottle, which operated within the co-working building and HanaHaus both closed on 10/01/2024. (See Susana Guerrero, SFGate.com, "One of the Bay Area's most beautiful coffee shops set to close." published 09/20/2024, accessed 05/14/2025.)

Building Notes

A "Varsity Theatre" also operated in Davis, CA, in 1927.

PCAD id: 25743