The Pearl Theater in Buena Vista on Colorado's Most Endangered Places List for 2026

Описание: The following is from Colorado Preservation, Inc. with whom CBS Colorado proudly partners to preserve Colorado's rich history:

Every small town has its gathering place where memories live on long after the lights go out. For Buena Vista, that place is the Pearl Theater.

Before the popcorn and the projector lights, this building served as a mercantile. Built in the 1880s, it sold everything from groceries to whiskey. It even had a basketball court upstairs! In 1951, John and Pearl Groy purchased the building and transformed it into the Pearl Theater, a small-town movie house that brought Hollywood to Main Street Buena Vista.

For over seventy years, the Groys have been the heart behind the town’s movie culture. Pearl and John dug the sloped floor by hand, added a “cry room” for families, and ran the projection booth themselves. The original 1950s projectors are still owned by the family today. Locals still remember lining up around the block for the premiere of Star Wars, catching matinees with friends, and hearing the hum of the projector. The Groy family’s passion for film still runs deep as they continue to operate the historic Comanche Drive-In, one of the last of its kind in Colorado.

Today, the Pearl stands at a crossroads. Decades of water damage have left the building’s back wall failing and the roof dangerously compromised. The town has declared it unsafe. Without immediate intervention, the owners face a difficult reality. If the structure cannot be stabilized soon, the family may be required to demolish it.

The Groys are exploring every avenue to bring the theater back to life. This includes fundraisers, outdoor movie screenings, and plans for forming a nonprofit. Their vision is to restore the Pearl as both a movie house and a flexible community venue, keeping film and art alive on Buena Vista’s Main Street.

CPI is excited to work with the Groy Family, the Town of Buena Vista, and the local Historic Preservation Commission to support the effort to preserve this irreplaceable piece of small-town Americana.


Colorado Preservation Inc: https://www.coloradopreservation.org

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