Grand Lake Theater

The historic Grand Lake Theater is steps away from Lake Merritt and the shops, bars, and restaurants on Grand and Lakeshore avenues. Whether you’re coming for a matinee or evening show, there are numerous places to stop for lunch or dinner, coffee or drinks before and after the flick, and on Saturdays, the Grand Lake Farmer’s Market makes for a great detour for seasonal veggies.

If the movie you want to see is playing here, it’s easy to dismiss other movie houses to opt for this one. The Grand Lake Theater has character. Where else will you witness an old-time Wurlitzer Organ and its conductor rising out of the floor, presenting you with live show tunes before the previews come on?

The Grand Lake Theater plays new releases, but the setting you’ll watch them in feels very old-Hollywood. Along with the Fox Oakland and Paramount theaters, the Grand Lake was a movie-palace escape for depression-era times. Originally home to Vaudeville shows, the silent movie house saw the rise to more popular “talkies” we enjoy to this day.

Designed by the Reid Brothers in 1926, details of the beautiful theater include crystal chandeliers, mosaic, stained glass paneling, marble columns, and a lofty entrance lobby bedecked with balconied windows and built-in statuettes above the ticket stands.

First-run movies are also shown here. What better place to watch them than in Grand Lake Theater’s main auditorium, where 1,700 guests can be seated? In addition to the grand screen, two smaller screens are available in auditorium 3, which features 1920’s Egyptian style, and in auditorium 4, designed in a Moorish style. It’s evident where the millions of dollars invested in 1980 theater renovations have gone.

Opening nights aren’t insane at Grand Lake, and the lines here in general aren’t the overcrowded variety you’ll find at nearby Bay Street. Finding a spot to park is also a breeze, with four hours of free parking under the 580. The Grand Lake is seconds away from the 580 exit, and you’ll recognize it immediately with its original rooftop sign illuminating the street at night.

HelloMetro Tip: The Grand Lake Theater lets you keep your 3D glasses for higher-priced, 3D movies. Bring them back the next time for 50 cents off the price of your movie ticket.

- by Renee M. Rutledge, San Francisco Reporter for HelloMetro  (Click to leave a message)

Renee M. Rutledge

Renee M. Rutledge currently writes articles on local travel and culture for Red Tricycle, Parents' Press, Oakland Magazine, and Alameda Magazine.