Close your eyes. Envision roves of people wearing fedoras and fur coats lining up in front of a 1940s Art Deco-style theater,waiting to buy tickets to the newest movie to hit the silver screen, perhaps Gary Cooper’s The Westerner. Now fast forward 70 years. You’ve arrived at Ross Ragland Theater, renovated and ready for more.
The Klamath Falls performing arts and cultural center is anything but worn-out. Though it was originally Esquire Theater, in 1989 a privately-owned, non-profit organization bought the theater and reopened it under the name of Ross Ragland Theater. The 740-seat venue is home to multiple theatrical performances, orchestra concerts, musical tributes, children’s shows and even movie showings.
Not quite ready to take your seat? Meander through the lobby and check out the Ross Ragland Art Gallery. This exhibition of local artists changes monthly with the performances. And if you’re curious about how the theater looked as the Esquire, head over to the Cultural Center, the theater’s newer building addition. Vintage photos spanning the decades of this bygone era’s glory hang proudly on the walls.
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Things to know:
Region: Southern Oregon
Highlights: The theater's namesake, Ross Ragland, was a prominent Klamath Falls civic leader and chairman of the campaign for the theater renovation.
Fun facts: More than 100,000 people visit the Ross Ragland Theater and Cultural Center annually.
Getting there: The Ross Ragland Theater and Cultural Center is located in Klamath Falls, just east of the Cascades Mountain Range and 11 miles north of the California border.
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