Penthouse I & II Theatres

618 Liberty Avenue,
Pittsburgh, PA 15222

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Additional Info

Previous Names: Big Top Theatre

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Opened on July 31, 1968, the Penthouse II Theatre is listed as operating as a gay male porn cinema in the 1977 edition of Bob Damron’s Address Book. Penthouse I Theatre operated straight porn movies. In 1977 it was renamed Big Top Theatre and it closed in 1978.

Contributed by Ken Roe

Recent comments (view all 6 comments)

raubre
raubre on March 2, 2008 at 6:08 pm

I wonder if ebay or half.com would have copies of the Damron books…

Glndrsn
Glndrsn on May 3, 2009 at 6:50 pm

Penthouse I & Penthouse II was a twin 16mm porn theater in the early ‘70s. I for straight, & II for gay male films. New owners from NYC added stages lighting and sound for strippers and the occassional live sex act. A third theater was added to the third floor, and that building became a live sex multi-plex with 25 cent movie booths to boot. With the Bizarre, Liberty, Art Cinema, the Edison hotel, and the one near the bus station, and several more across the rivers, Pittsburgh was a “pornocopia” of fleshly entertainment. Thank God it’s all gone!

rivoli157
rivoli157 on November 13, 2011 at 5:51 pm

I admit it, in the 1970s as a college student I paid visits to both these theatres. The things that went on, all I can say is WOW!

rivoli157
rivoli157 on November 13, 2011 at 5:58 pm

Liberty Ave in the 70s was porn alley! Anything you wanted. Theatres, adult arcades,where you had to be 18 and you paid a quarter to enter the adult arcade section through a turnstile. And maybe because I was young,it never seemed all that dangerous. Ah youth!

rivest266
rivest266 on February 19, 2021 at 12:52 pm

This adult cinema opened on July 31st, 1968. Grand opening ad posted. It was renamed Big Top in 1977 and closed in 1978.

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