Jack Loeks' Studio 28
1350 28th Street SW,
Wyoming,
MI
49509
1350 28th Street SW,
Wyoming,
MI
49509
8 people
favorited this theater
Additional Info
Previously operated by: Loeks-Star Theatres
Nearby Theaters
News About This Theater
- Mar 3, 2014 — Studio 28 to come down
- Nov 26, 2008 — John Loeks speaks as Studio 28 closes
- Nov 18, 2008 — First 20 screen theatre to close
Originally opened as the 850-car capacity Beltline Drive-In in 1948 (it has its own page on Cinema Treasures). An indoor, single-screen theater was added to the drive-in and opened with 1,000 seats on December 25, 1965. On February 13, 1976 it expanded to 6-screens and on March 2, 1984, this doubled to 12-screens, giving a total seating capacity of 4,000. On May 20, 1988, it had 20-screens, with a seating capacity of 6,145. Built and operated by Jack Loeks, it was West Michigan’s first multiplex cinema and at one time was one of the largest in the USA.
The interior is a little like those IMAX theaters with the neon lights and the like. They have an arcade room, and three concession stands (one in front of the arcade room, one in the far left when you first enter the theater, and one in the far back of the theater). The people there give you good service, too. This theater is also one that enforces their rule policies in the middle of previews before their feature presentation (I’ve seen them since my first time in that place since 1992, which was just a man talking while you see nothing but stars in space, in around 1995 they changed design and went with “The Ten Commandments” look with rules like “Thou shalt not talk during the film”. They stopped showing them sometime in 2001 and then resurrected it with more stars and firecrackers in around 2003). And they make one of their main rules known by having the announcer say in a booming voice “NO TALKING”.
Due to a fall in attendance, Loeks Theatres announced that Studio 28 would close on November 27, 2008. It was demolished in March 2014.
Contributed by
Calvin Gardner, Cinema Treasures
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Recent comments (view all 27 comments)
It’s being demolished today.
http://www.mlive.com/business/west-michigan/index.ssf/2014/03/studio_28_once_worlds_largest.html
The location of this theater is currently in the city of Wyoming, not Grand Rapids. Granted, Wyoming didn’t become a city until 1959, but this theater was never inside the GR city limits.
Grand opening ad posted.
Also uploaded some aerials for the cinema as well as a plan showing the four expansion phases.
Little Studio opened on August 30th, 1967 in an unused retail space.
Six screens on February 13th, 1976. Ad posted.
Opened as the world’s largest cinema complex with 6,145 seats spanning 20 screens on May 20th, 1988. Grand opening ads, articles as well as a plan of the cinema posted.
Opened as the world’s first free-standing 12-plex cinema in the World on March 2nd, 1984. (Cineplex 12 and Eaton Centre 17 in Toronto were in shopping centres.)
closed on November 24th, 2008 with a bang.
1976 ad:
Studio 28 expansion to 6 screens 13 Feb 1976, Fri The Grand Rapids Press (Grand Rapids, Michigan) Newspapers.com