Thanks to a generous 2023 Excellence Grant from the Community Foundation of Lafayette, The Park Theater Trust (TPTT), in partnership with the Lafayete Historical Society, will be producing a documentary on the Park Theater’s past, present and exciting future. We are looking for community members who have fond memories of the Park Theater from before it closed in 2005–particularly in the early days when the Park first opened and in the 1950s when the Park was also used by Lafayette Orinda Presbyterian Church while the new sanctuary was under construction.
In addition to anecdotal stories and archival photographs, we are compiling histories as well as video interviews, so we are looking for community members willing to be interviewed on camera for the documentary. This piece will be shown as an inaugural short film at the Park when it opens, and also become an important part of the Lafayette Historical Society’s permanent archives.
If you are interested, please fill out the form at The Park Theater Trust website. The Historical Society and TPTT will review all information and will reach out to you for additional details and potential follow-up.
For more information about The Park Theater Trust renovation project please visit their website.
I recall going to the Park back in the early 60’s…. it was the El Ray (now gone), the Orinda and the Lafayette Park… all old grand theaters… both the Orinda and Lafayette Park were the true old Grand Dames in theater entertainment in the Burbs…. There was a little tiny theater in Danville (the Village Theater) that we went to in the 70’s… and the Enea Theater in Concord, but nothing compared to the Park in Lafayette… We moved from Oakland to Lafayette area in the mid 50’s… back then we experienced the Paramount Theater in Oakland to watch a movie… Saw Ben Hur there once… Then we moved to small town Lafayette and going to the Park theater was kind of like going to the Paramount but much more personal… Small Town… you knew everyone that went to watch a movie there… The Saturday afternoon movie with cartoons before the movie was a real treat. Us kids were all growing up in Lafayette together… went to school together and played baseball together…. it was a great time to be in Lafayette and it was a great place to live.
Fondly remember watching Lassie movies at Saturday matinees.