Lake Theatre

Excelsior’s first purpose-built movie house opened in 1914 as the Happy Hour Theatre. It was two doors down from the Excelsior Theatre, a storefront nickelodeon opened in 1912. Not only was the Happy Hour Theatre a fancy, 10-cent house with a sloped floor and opera chairs, but it boasted a full confectionary in the front of the building, where patrons could buy ice cream and other treats before entering the theatre itself.

In 1929, the house was remodeled, fitted for sound, and renamed the Lake Theatre. It continued to operate through the 1930’s, closing after its last show on April 23, 1940, a short time before its replacement, the new Tonka Theatre, opened on April 26, 1940.

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