Historic Theater Grant Program

In 2021, the Washington State Legislature approved funding in the Capital Budget to establish the Historic Theater Capital Grant program. The program is intended to recognize and preserve historic theaters as an essential element to economic vitality and social health of any community – especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The grant program is housed within the Washington State Department of Archaeology & Historic Preservation (DAHP) and managed under contract by the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation. The first round awarded $280,000 in matching funds for the 2021-2023 Biennium, with a limit of $50,000 per request. Eight grants were awarded. State Fiscal Year 23-25 capital budget included an additional $515,000 in funding to continue the Historic Theater Grant Program. Twelve grants were awarded.

More than 80 operating historic theaters remain in Washington. They are scattered in both small towns and urban neighborhoods. In fact, 25% of the theaters are located in communities with a population of under 5,000, and nearly 56% are in communities under 50,000. As businesses, they contribute local economies in purchasing goods and products, employing people, and paying taxes. As venues for performances and film, they support an arts economy that ripples far beyond individual artists to include construction workers, graphic designers, electricians, and many other trades and services. Additionally, historic theaters are indispensable assets in developing cultural tourism—the fastest growing segment of the tourism market. As theater closures statewide were eminent through the last year and a half, the grant program hopes to not only offset deferred maintenance but also foster a preservation ethic for these cherished community gathering spaces.

Grant Documents:

• Theater Grant Guidelines & Procedures
• Theater Grant Application - Applications for the FY23-25 grant cycle are now closed!
• Additional Grant info
• Additional Historic Theater info

Resources:

Storymap: The Show Must Go On! Historic Theaters in WA

Historic Theater Grant Recipients: 21-23 Biennium

Columia Theatre Association Longview	7th Street Theatre Hoquiam
Sandpoint Naval Air Station - Building 47 Theater Seattle	North Bend Theatre North Bend
Omak Theater Omak	Lincoln Theatre Mount Vernon
Garland Theater Spokane	Liberty Theater Walla Walla

Historic Theater Grant Recipients: 23-25 Biennium

Princess Theater Prosser	ACT Contemporary Theatre Seattle
Paramount Theater Seattle	Roxy Theatre Bremerton
Roslyn Theatre Roslyn	Chehalis Theater Chehalis
Roxy Theater Newport	Blue Mouse Theater Tacoma
Rialto Theater Tacoma	Concrete Theater Concrete
Everett Theater Everett	Capitol Theater Yakima