Interested in joining our preservation efforts? Become a FRIEND OF THE UPTOWN THEATRE.
ABOUT US
The Walt Disney Hometown Historic Theater Foundation, Inc. is a registered 501c3 nonprofit run by a group of cinephiles and Disneyphiles.Â
In 2016, we bought the Uptown Theatre. Regrettably, while we were making improvements the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and we were forced to put the updates on hold.Â
As so many other organizations and businesses, we struggled through the pandemic. As a result, the Uptown Theatre’s integrity suffered.Â
Like everyone else, we are now bouncing back.Â
When we purchased the Uptown, we knew it was an important piece of Disneyana. What we didn’t know was how much other history was attached to the building. For tens of thousands of area people, the theater was an integral part of growing up. Nor did we realize how unique Spanish Revival the architecture is.Â
We hired a historic preservation company—Midwest Preservation Group—to write a National Register of Historic Places nomination for us.
As of 3 July 2023 the Uptown Theatre is listed in the Register. It is the first Marceline building on the Register.
We are proud to know that this theater will be preserved in some way for all time. We’re grateful to Midwest Preservation Group for the long hours put in to preserve our building and its history.
Once we have completed updates and take the appropriate preservation steps, the theater will be showing silent movies, early “talkies” and modern movies. We will host events and the five apartments above the theater will be re-opened and rented out.
Interested in joining our preservation efforts? Check out our FRIENDS OF THE UPTOWN THEATRE page.