The Paramount Theater

The Paramount was completed in 1932 just as the Depression was leaving its mark on Amarillo, which had feasted on the fruits of the 1920s oil boom until the global crash caught up with it.

The Paramount was Amarillo’s premier first-run theater for decades, but fell behind the multiple screen suburban complexes in the 1970s, and closed in the mid 1970s.

It was gutted and converted to office space, but the pueblo deco exterior is still as beautiful as ever. A hint of its grandeur can be seen in the second level of the parking garage that fills the old auditorium. The painted starburst ceiling is still intact, as is golden plasterwork that framed the top of the stage. The original chandelier and the giant blade sign from the facade have been preserved in a now-closed disco in the city’s warehouse district.