Thanks Kibblesmom, I did a directions search from the motel to the theater and I don't remember driving twenty minutes but there doesn't seem to be any else. Regal used to be United Artists Theaters and I worked for UA back east at the time, and I would have gotten in free so this is probably the one. Curious that Cinema Treasures a database for Movie Theaters has no record of it. Thanks again.

Yeah... the only long time theaters in SLO are the Fremont on Monterey Street and The Palm on Palm Street.... neither of which are multiplexes.

Festival Cinemas in AG used to have nothing else around it except a Sizzler Steakhouse. That's why I'm thinking that's the one you went to.

A lot has changes since '88. The Sizzler is gone, replaced with an In-N-Out Burger. A Walmart, an Albertson's grocery store and a whole bunch of other shops & eateries surround that theater now.

I started thinking that there might have been a movie theater at the old Madonna Plaza shopping center. There would have been a Mervyn's, a Sears and a Hallmark card shop by it. Sound familiar?

Kibblesmom--your memory is correct--there was a multiplex theater in the mall at the old Madonna Plaza...indoors, not very nice, about 4 (maybe 6?) theaters, but it's no longer there, and hasn't been since the mid 90s...

I lived in SLO until January of 1998 I remember seeing Donnie Brasco which came out in 1997 at the theater on Madonna.

I'm not a movie historian but my best recollection of the background.

The Madonna Plaza Theater opened with 3 screens in 1969. I remember seeing some big name movies there in the 1970s. If I remember correctly it had several owners, the last being the Edwards chain.

The Edwards Madonna Plaza 3 closed about 2000 spending its last years as a discount price theater trying to compete with the newer screens in downtown SLO.

The Arroyo Grande theater mentioned originally was opened by Festival Enterprises I believe in the late 1970s/early 1980s but I would have to do some digging for a more exact year. It replicated almost exactly a design used by Festival at locations it built around the state at that same time in Fresno, Modesto, San Ramon, etc.

Festival Enterprises sold to Mann about 1986/1987. Mann later was purchased by Signature about 1999/2000 and Signature was purchased by Regal about 2004.

And today's local paper informed us that the historic Fremont Theater in downtown SLO closed as of last night due to its contract expiring with the owners!!

Hopefully the movie vendor can negotiate a new contract and re-open soon. Would be a shame to see this gem out of commission.

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