The PAL Theatre was built in 1927 in downtown Vidalia as a movie theatre and performing arts theatre with a stage, organ and orchestra pit. Mr. Mitchell F. Brice, who also established the Brice Banking Company, Tanner Brice Wholesale Company and Simm’s Service Stores (later to become Piggly Wiggly), hired well-known theatre architect Roy Benjamin to design this theatre for downtown Vidalia. Mr. Brice and his heirs owned and operated the theatre from 1927-2004. Maggie Brice sold the theatre to Karl & Ann Owens in 2004. The Owens continued to operate it as a movie theatre and live events venue until they closed it in June 2014. The City of Vidalia purchased the theatre from the Owens in January of 2015.
The City of Vidalia began renovating the theatre in late summer 2016. During the renovations, several historic features of the theatre were kept intact including utilizing the original wood beams on the second floor of the banquet hall. An attached 3-story building was also renovated and houses the ticket office and lobby for the theatre, an expanded concessions area, green room/dressing rooms and the Downtown Vidalia Association Main Street Office and Welcome Center on the 1st floor. The 2nd floor is a banquet hall with a 3rd story mezzanine. An elevator was also added to access all three floors. The entire building is equipped with public Wi-Fi. Located on the corner of US Hwy 280 and Church Street, the theatre is once again a movie theatre and performing arts theatre. Movies are generally shown Friday and Saturday twice a month and at least one live event is scheduled each month.
Call the box office at 912-535-0290 or for more information, click here.
122 Church Street, Vidalia