Screenland Armour Theatre’s exterior sports the vintage brick architecture and marquee of days gone by.
The Classic with a Contemporary Style
firm’s properties to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The 1928 version of what was then the Armour Theatre boasted 650 seats. It reopened as the Center Theatre in 1963, before becoming a live venue (known as “The Paradise Theatre” in the 1980’s). It later served as a live venue for country music when it was known as The Northland Opry. Current owners and operators of the theatre are Adam Roberts and Brent Miller, who also just happen to own Tapcade, a popular tap room and arcade located in the Crossroads. They envisioned a different movie experience for the Screenland Theatre. An assortment of arcade games and adult beverages were introduced as an additional draw for patrons. The full-service bar boasts a wide variety of craft beers, wines and
cocktails. An expansion in the summer of 2018 added two additional screens, extra lobby space and more amenities. First-run features play side-by-side with films that wouldn’t be out of place in the arthouse. There’s also plenty of grindhouse fare in the rotation, if your tastes run more “Evil Dead” than “Touch of Evil.” In fact, the Screenland Armour is maybe the one place in the metro where you could see both films. Additionally, their website has a handy calendar featuring several recurring series and special screenings – from “movies that rock” to “midnight madness” and from cult classics to classic-classics. Whether it’s an arthouse special or a vintage masterpiece or the latest blockbuster, an evening at one of these historic theatres is your ticket to a red carpet affair. ^
The Screenland Armour theatre is one of the anchors of the vibrant downtown scene in North Kansas City, Mo. Built in 1928, it’s the oldest theater in the metro area, but don’t let the building’s age fool you. Building owner Butch Rigby has invested plenty of money and effort into making the theatre a cutting-edge destination. Rigby purchased the Spanish Renaissance building in 2008. The Kansas City-based architectural firm of Keene and Simpson is credited with the design and construction of the theatre. The same firm also built the Truman Courthouse in Independence, Mo., and the downtown courthouse in Kansas City, Mo. The Screenland is one of about a dozen of the
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