The Art McKinney Historic Preservation Award was presented to Ashland Theatre Foundation and the Town of Ashland on May 29, 2019 in recognition of the extraordinary renovation of the 1948 property in the heart of Downtown Ashland.

The following video tells the Theatre’s remarkable history.

A brief history of the Ashland Theatre which premiered at the Red Carpet Re-Opening on February 26, 2019. Features the memories of some local Ashlanders who worked and enjoyed the theatre throughout the decades.

The Ashland Theatre building at 205 England Street first opened in 1948 and continued to operate as a movie theater until 1996. It was purchased by local developer A.D. Whitaker who made initial restorations and generously gave the building to the Town of Ashland in 2013. A Downtown Ashland Association volunteer committee re-opened the theater in “pop-up mode” in November 2014, leading to the creation of Ashland Theatre Foundation, which undertook a capital campaign and $2.1 million renovation. Ashland Theatre reopened in December 2018 to public acclaim.

Ashland Theatre is beautifully restored and serves as the center of entertainment for Downtown Ashland, with a wide variety of performances including first-run films, live music, and community events. See the full schedule and buy tickets online at ashlandtheatre.org.