It was right at the prime of the ‘talkie’ film phenomena that the Paragon Theatre Queenstown first lit up.
Since the first showing on October 28, 1933, the theatre ran successfully through to the 1970s and shut down in 1985.
Since, it has served as a cricket ground, then re-furbished into a luxury cinema before being taken back to its original routes as a humble theatre. With a true art deco-style, the Paragon is thriving once again with eclectic entertainment including features, featurettes, and live music from local acts.
For a small fee, there’s a guided tour of the Paragon, with golden era movie posters, artwork, and historic dress circle.
Dedicated to the upkeep of this establishment, proceeds go towards the continued restoration of the building. It’s a real hit of nostalgia with Carbon-arc projectors and adjoining work rooms with original equipment still in place.
An AV display features past projectionists for a full rundown of its colourful history. A wine, dine and watch experience is on offer here, with famous whisky and raspberry brandy ice-cream choc-tops part of the picture. It’s all within reach at the centre of Queenstown opposite the Empire Hotel with plenty of free parking next door.