Uptown Theater

The Hennepin Avenue and Lagoon Avenue landmark from COVID closure and the 2020 protests through its conversion to a concert venue

Uptown Theater — Minneapolis, MN

The Uptown Theater stands at the corner of Hennepin Avenue and Lagoon Avenue in Minneapolis, a Spanish Revival building opened in 1926 and rebuilt with an Art Deco facade in 1939. For decades it operated as a movie palace and later a cinema, its vertical sign and marquee defining the commercial heart of the Uptown neighborhood.

The theater's recent history tracks closely with the broader turbulence that moved through Uptown in the early 2020s. In March 2020 it closed with the rest of Minnesota's entertainment venues during the COVID-19 shutdown, its marquee posting notices above an emptied Hennepin Avenue. Within weeks of reopening, the building was boarded against unrest following the murder of George Floyd, and the plywood covering its facade became a surface for protest messages and public art, including a mural by Minneapolis artist Adam Turman. A mass shooting at the intersection in June 2020 shattered the theater's windows, and in the summer of 2021 the surrounding streets became the site of protests connected to the death of Winston Smith, a wanted man killed by federal marshals nearby.

During that period the building underwent renovation to convert it from a cinema into a concert venue, work that continued into the mid-2020s. By early 2024 the renovation was complete, and the theater was again hosting live events, its marquee advertising performances on the same corner that had been the repeated center of unrest just years before.

Rainy night traffic on Hennepin Avenue in Minneapolis with the Uptown Theater sign lit up. — *March 6, 2026* — A couple walk down Hennepin Avenue in Uptown Minneapolis on March 6, 2026. The Uptown Theater being seen in the background.

Street vendor and patrons outside Uptown Theater in Minneapolis at night. — *April 12, 2025* — A street vendor serves patrons outside the historic Uptown Theater at the intersection of Hennepin Avenue and Lagoon Avenue in Uptown Minneapolis. The theater, a prominent cultural landmark since its opening in 1939, is illuminated by its marquee, advertising an event for April 17.

Foggy intersection in Uptown Minneapolis with cars stopped at red lights and pedestrians crossing near the Uptown Theatre. — *December 30, 2024* — The intersection of Lagoon Avenue and Hennepin Avenue in Uptown Minneapolis is seen on a foggy December night. The Uptown Theatre, a historic landmark built in 1926, is visible on the left with its marquee displaying "THANKS FOR A GREAT YEAR!".

Uptown Theater sign lit at dusk in Minneapolis. — *September 21, 2024* — The illuminated Uptown Theater sign stands tall on Hennepin Avenue in Minneapolis at dusk. Opened in 1926, the Uptown Theater was designed by Chicago architect William L. Pereira and is known for its opulent Spanish Revival architecture. It originally served as a movie palace and later transitioned to hosting live performances and events. The theater's prominent marquee and vertical sign have long been a landmark in the Uptown neighborhood.

Uptown Theater marquee in Minneapolis advertises Sepultura, Sep. 18. — *September 7, 2024* — The Uptown Theater marquee in Minneapolis displays "SEPULTURA SEP 18" indicating an upcoming performance by the Brazilian heavy metal band.

Uptown Theater on Hennepin Ave in Minneapolis on a rainy night — *January 25, 2024* — The Uptown Theater on Hennepin Avenue in Uptown Minneapolis is illuminated on a rainy night in January 2024, following recent renovations. Originally opened in 1939, this historic cinema has long been a prominent cultural landmark in the neighborhood.

Uptown Theater marquee in Minneapolis at night. — *December 14, 2023* — The illuminated marquee of the Uptown Theater, located at the corner of Lagoon Avenue and Hennepin Avenue in Minneapolis, displays the theater's name in large white letters against a dark background, bordered by rows of glowing orange bulbs.

Uptown Theater at Hennepin Ave and Lagoon Ave in Minneapolis after snowfall at night — *January 6, 2022* — The Uptown Theater, located at Hennepin Avenue and Lagoon Avenue in Minneapolis, is seen here during a winter snowfall. The building was undergoing a significant renovation to transform it into a concert venue. Originally opened in 1929 as a movie palace, the Uptown Theater has been a prominent landmark in the city's Uptown neighborhood for decades. Its conversion reflects a shift in entertainment venues and the ongoing adaptation of historic structures to contemporary uses.

Graffiti on the Uptown Theater in Minneapolis reads, “Do you know who Winston Smith is??” — *November 8, 2021* — Graffiti reading "DO YOU KNOW WHO WINSTON SMITH IS??" is spray-painted on the glass doors of the Uptown Theater in Minneapolis. The Uptown Theatre, a historic movie palace opened in 1926, has been a prominent landmark on Hennepin Avenue.

Night view of the Uptown Theater in Minneapolis at Lagoon Avenue and Hennepin Avenue. — *July 8, 2021* — Nighttime view of the Uptown Minneapolis theater and surrounding streets. The marquee reads "UPTOWN" and "OUTMOVIES ONLY." This image taken a protest on July 8, 2021 where protesters and individuals identified by police as "hot rodders" blocked streets. The Minneapolis Police Department declared an unlawful assembly but dispersed without making arrests. The protest was related to the death of Winston Smith.

Broken windows at the Uptown Theater in Uptown Minneapolis on June 21, 2020. — *June 21, 2020* — The Uptown Theater at Hennepin Avenue and Lagoon Avenue in Uptown Minneapolis with shattered glass windows. The windows were broken during a mass shooting that wounded 11.

Adam Turman mural on plywood at Uptown Theatre in Minneapolis reading “The Right Thing” and “Love Mpls.” — *June 5, 2020* — Adam Turman’s 2020 mural on the boarded-up Uptown Theatre on Hennepin Avenue in Uptown Minneapolis fills the facade with the words “THE RIGHT THING” above a figure presenting “LOVE MPLS” in outstretched fists. Created in the days after the murder of George Floyd, the work uses bold lettering and a medallion in Pan-African colors to reference solidarity, Black liberation, and calls for justice. Painted on temporary plywood covering the theater, the mural reflects how storefront barriers across Minneapolis became surfaces for public art and messages during that period.

Boarded-up Uptown Theater in Minneapolis with red graffiti reading “Silence = Violence” and “Wake Up White People.” — *June 2, 2020* — The Uptown Theater in Uptown Minneapolis is shown boarded up on June 2, 2020, with protest messages painted across plywood covering its facade. Red spray-painted text on the boards reads “Silence = Violence” and “Wake Up White People,” while the marquee above says “ITS OVER” and “GO HOME.” The historic movie theater was among many Twin Cities buildings covered after protests that followed the murder of George Floyd.

Uptown Theatre at Hennepin and Lagoon avenues in Minneapolis, closed at night during COVID-19. — *March 27, 2020* — The Uptown Theatre at Hennepin Avenue and Lagoon Avenue in Minneapolis stands closed in March 2020, with its marquee posting shutdown messages above an empty nighttime street. The movie theater, a longtime landmark in the Uptown neighborhood, opened in 1916 and was rebuilt in 1939 with its well-known Art Deco facade. The lack of traffic and pedestrians at the intersection documents the early weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic, when entertainment venues and many nearby businesses across Minnesota were temporarily shut down.

Hennepin Avenue in Uptown Minneapolis at night, with the Uptown Theater and Chino Latino visible. — *March 27, 2020* — Hennepin Avenue in Uptown Minneapolis, Minnesota, is nearly empty in late March 2020, with the Chino Latino restaurant and the Uptown Theater sign visible along the corridor. The photograph shows a commercial stretch of the neighborhood during the early weeks of the coronavirus pandemic, when business closures and stay-at-home measures sharply reduced traffic and pedestrian activity.

Empty Hennepin Avenue at West Lake Street in Minneapolis at night during the early COVID-19 shutdown — *March 27, 2020* — Hennepin Avenue at West Lake Street in Uptown Minneapolis is shown empty at night during the early COVID-19 shutdown in March 2020.

Uptown Theater

Minneapolis Photographer