Shea's Downtown
4632 Main Avenue,
Ashtabula,
OH
44004
4632 Main Avenue,
Ashtabula,
OH
44004
2 people
favorited this theater
Related Websites
Shea's Downtown (Official)
Additional Info
Previously operated by: Shea Theatres
Architects: Michael J. DeAngelis
Styles: Streamline Moderne
Previous Names: Shea's Theatre
Nearby Theaters
The Shea’s Theatre was attempting a comeback thanks to dedicated locals who, in 2001, are looking to restore and reopen the classic neighborhood movie house.
Shea’s Theatre originally opened on February 2, 1949 with Mickey Rooney in “Words and Music”. It was closed in 1982. A section of the first floor has been in use as a senior center. The theatre will serve as Ashtabula’s civic center and could possibly seat over 1,500 people. Famed actor, Mickey Rooney, performed at the nearby Edgewood Auditorium in April 2001 in a benefit performance for the theatre.
Contributed by
Ross Melnick
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Recent comments (view all 23 comments)
I remember going to the Shea back when I was a kid. My family vacationed every summer at nearby Geneva-on-the-Lake, and Ashtabula wasn’t too far away. The theater was impressively grand like so many old theaters of its era (including several in downtown Youngstown).
Among the many films I saw there were “The Lion in Winter” (in 1969), and a double-feature of “Willard” and “10 Rillington Place” (in 1971).
A book in the Images of America series, Ashtabula: People and Places, by Evelyn Schaeffer and Richard E. Stoner (Google Books preview), has about a dozen photos related to Shea’s Theatre.
The book says that the senior center occupies the former lobby of the theater, which is a good-sized space in a building built in 1927 and converted for theater use when the auditorium was built behind it in 1949. The auditorium itself has apparently been dark since 1982, when the house closed after about six years of operation by a local nonprofit group.
Shea’s Theater is near and dear to my heart. I began working there as an usher in 1968 and soon moved to doorman. A young lady began working the candy stand in 1969 and although we were not immediately attracted to each other because we each had other “irons in the fire”, we did eventually fall in love and will celebrate our 40th year wedding anniversary this year. If it were not for Shea’s we may never have met. Thanks Shea’s Theater. You will always be near and dear to me.
I Notice Ashtabula Had A Drive-In Previously Called The Shea’s Midway Drive-In Theatre Near The Ashtabula And Conneaut Border. http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/2928/photos/142010
I worked at the Shea’s in the early 50’s as an usher as well as the Palace, Bula, and State. I think I made 50 cents per hour. Great place to start at 15. I road my bike from Saybrook sometimes getting home after midnight on the Saturday night preview. Thank you for the memorys.
The theatre is still sitting abandoned as of 2022, the inside is crumbling really bad and I believe water has gotten inside since it smelled pretty moldy from the outside, very sad and I hope someone gives the building some love before it’s too late.
New owner of the theatre has big plans
Shea’s now has a website: https://www.sheasdowntown.com/ and work has begun on restoring the building.
Hi! I have been following this project with great interest. Bud Hill was a personal friend of mine. When and Alix closed their home in Chautauqua, Bud gave me is Theatre Organ which was installed there. I have the instrument completely restored and awaiting a new home. If there is interest in returning a Theatre Pipe Organ to Shea’s, please contact me. I think Bud would be smiling down from Heaven if once again he had his pipe organ once again in the theatre (I think he even had his Skinner pipe organ installed in Shea’s).
Vic Marsilio
330-651-0451
Currently undergoing a restoration project to reopen as a community center with the option to show movies, the reopening date is unknown as of right now.