Tower Theatre

The Tower Theatre is a 1939 Streamline Moderne landmark in the heart of Fresno's Tower District, designed by prolific theater architect S. Charles Lee. Its defining tower element was directly inspired by the "Star Pylon" at the 1939 New York World's Fair, giving the building a sculptural silhouette that still distinguishes it on the Fresno streetscape. Opened on December 15, 1939, under Fox West Coast Theater Corporation management, it served as a cinema for five decades before closing in 1989 due to financial difficulties. A full renovation brought it back in 1990 as a performing arts center. Now listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it hosts concerts, theatrical productions, and film screenings, functioning as the cultural anchor of the surrounding Tower District.