The last porn theaters?
 

I was just Googling my local porn theater and came across a website that had a list of the last remaining porn theaters in North America. Not the rooms with a couple of couches and a big screen tv, but actual movie theaters that show porn. I was shocked by how small the list is and happy that I had one of the few remaining nearby.

Dr. Emilio Lizardo's Journal of Adult Theaters: A Few Minutes With Dr. Emilio: T2 (Tornadoes and Theaters)

Here is a list of (still open) old medium to large adult movie theaters to the best of my knowledge:

Apex Theater, Baltimore
Twin Cinemas at Buford Highway, Doraville, GA
The Playhouse, Tampa, FL
Cinema Blue, Birmingham, AL
Foster Theater, Youngstown
Adult Cinema in Akron, OH
Cinema One, Chattanooga, TN
Paris Twin Cinemas, Syracuse, NY
Secrets, Oakland, CA
Oregon Theater, Portland, OR
Paris Theatre, Portland, OR
Metro Theater, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Art Cinema, Hartford, CT
Strand, Kansas City
The Lido, Dallas (not really an old theater, but a large seating area)
Theataire X, Clarksville, IN

I have never been there but I have heard of Studs in West Hollywood...

I agree that these are most probably the very last of the dying breed. The world has changed. There is lots of free porn floating around. And people can hook up via their smart phone applications for free.

Few people are willing to pay any amount of money for hooking up if they can get it for free. Once a significant number of patrons are gone, the theaters close. Even those who would be gladly dishing out their dough for the tickets realize that it makes no sense to keep on spending the cash in order to see and possibly NOT hook up with the very few, last remaining dudes...

Sad as this very well may be, we have all moved on...

KD

I did an advanced search of our Sex Listings using 'adult store with arcade, theatre' and 'theatre showing porn' and got 410 businesses in my results! Of course that is worldwide, not just the USA. I then narrowed the search for the same criteria, but only within the USA and got 212 results.

Of course I could not limit my search to "actual movie theaters that show porn" and I appreciate what you're after: those big, old fashioned cinemas that have a big screen and show porn. I used to love the Century in San Francisco back in the 80's when it was showing gay porn. I think the last of these I visited was in Kansas City a couple years ago. I do believe the VCR killed off these old fashioned cinemas in those countries where everyone was able to afford a private screening in their own home. Alas, I don't think they'll be making a come back.

I have been to bookstores with arcades plenty of times - but never to a "real" theater with porn.

But I did come close - when I was younger there was a DRIVE IN that ran porn a lot of time that I went to!

It would never be allowed now but it was a drive in out in the middle of nowhere and I think the porn is all that kept it going.

New York Porn Cinemas
 

I have been to the Paris Cinema in Syracuse, NY. Still active.

There was a full adult theater as part of an ABS in Troy, NY for many years. The theater was downstairs and the ABS upstairs. For some reason I can not understand, they allowed a local news crew to bring in a camera and reporter. The resultant publicity ended in the whole business being closed. While the owners were absent, the City Manager ordered the marquee outside the theater torn down despite its historic designation. The business never reopened. This business was only the first of the adult businesses run out of town.

I can't believe that theater was so stupid! The adult industry needs to just run their places quietly - attention on the industry is never a good thing.

Of course perhaps what the adult industry needs is to stop hiding in the dark? To admit how huge it is in terms of being a part of our economy, and how important it is to so many, many consumers. I'm reminded of the plea of gay activists: "Come out, come out!"

I agree, Keith. The adult industry is an important part of the US economy and needs to stand up to be counted. Unfortunately, political winds are again turning against the adult industry and the gay community too. Some ABS are now opening without video arcades in order to get community approval. Local governing boards wrongly assume getting rid of the arcades will eliminate the gay element hanging out. Politicians who think they can eliminate internet porn or "cure" gayness appeal to the narrowed minded segment of the voting public. Lets hope whoever gets in office, they will understand adults deserve personal freedom in their sex lives.

Point taken -

I was just thinking of the first bookstore I dared play in - Mustang Books in Upland California.

It was GREAT.

But then a Christian bookstore opened across the street and kept complaining and getting the cops to go in until they had to shut down. And I was thinking if they could have just quietly kept in business....

As for adult stores without arcades - I don't see how they can stay in business with all the other places to get porn now....