A landmark of Portland cinema history, The Clinton Street Theater is one of the oldest operating movie houses in the United States. The Clinton Street Theater has always been about community. We imagine ourselves to be a place to come and be with friends and family; a place where strangers are only friends you haven’t met yet.
Opened in 1915 as The Clinton, the theater became the 26th Avenue Theatre in 1945 and the Encore in 1969. In 1976, it reverted to its original name. Although the theater has undergone many changes over the years, it remains an intimate single screen venue with the capacity for 200 patrons.
Famous for its long-standing exhibition of the Rocky Horror Picture Show, the theater is currently a magnet for independent/revival films, live music, theater productions, dance performances, sex positive theater & film, drag shows, comedy, burlesque, and more.
The Clinton Street Theater is open to all ages and is a proud partner of local organizations that support musicians and other performers who are under 21. The theater also partners with a number of educational institutions (from day camps to universities) to provide a space where emerging filmmakers can have their work seen on the big screen. The theater is also known for working with nonprofits at affordable rates for their fundraising efforts.
In 2023 alone, more than $100,000 in ticket sales were disbursed directly to performers and filmmakers. During COVID-19 lockdowns, The Clinton Street Theater became a gathering place for activists and stood as a memorial to George Floyd.
For a comprehensive history of the Clinton Street Theater, check out this blog post and this website, both of which included newspaper clippings. And to learn more about a collective group that ran the theater in the late 1970s and early 1980s, visit the Portland State University digital archive of the Clinton St. Quarterly.
Mission
Our mission is to support the community through the power of independent film and live events. We accomplish this mission by creating a safe and welcoming environment where people can be true to themselves while learning about the world around them. We value direct contact with each other as we build a collective, social experience–encouraging a world rich with diversity and unique points of view.
Core Values
Independent Film: We work directly with filmmakers and include them in our events as often as possible. We seek out and welcome a diversity of film genres–from experimental to vintage classics–and actively create space for films that would not be shown in other venues.
Community Building: We focus on community events (including film, music and live performance) and involve community members in all that we do. We provide a space where friendships can grow while we work together to develop life-long skills and a sense of social responsibility.
Respect and Appreciation: We try create as safe of an environment as we can for people to explore and express who they are. We provide programming from diverse points of view, supporting each other in the expression of our truths, while building acceptance and understanding.
Accessibility
The theater is the ground level and has two spaces for wheelchair access in the front, left of the audience with companion seats. If those seats are filled by others who do not need that access, please request that a staff member ask them to move. Entry inside the theater and auditorium is through double doors and seats on either side of the main rows have the ability for armrests to be lifted for greater space. Entry into the two, gender-neutral bathrooms are both through a single door; one inside the auditorium and one inside the lobby. Inside each bathroom there are narrower spaces to the single occupancy toilet, which do not have handrails.
The theater often hosts foreign language films screened with English language captions. Certain screenings of English language films may also be shown with English language captions for greater accessibility. Please see the calendar to learn more.
If you have any questions about accessibility, please email [email protected] for more information.
Gift Cards
eGift cards can be purchased here. They can only be used for tickets that the theater is directly selling such as, but not limited to, film screenings. Certain special events are not eligible for redemption. Gift cards can also be used for merchandise and concessions purchased online or in-person. Please contact [email protected] with any questions.
Content Warning
The Clinton Street Theater hosts a wide variety of events and films from today and throughout the history of cinema. We encourage everyone to research the films and events they are interested in attending to best determine for themselves if the program is appropriate. Some screenings and events may contain problematic content that could be viewed as controversial, offensive, or even triggering. Unless for certain adults-only events, which are labeled as being 21+ with I.D. required at the door, we do not have age restrictions.
Press
The Clinton Theater Has Six New Owners (Portland Mercury, April 2022)
How the Clinton Street Theater’s New Owners Are Bringing It into the Future (Portland Monthly, July 2022)
Portland Is One of America’s Great Moviegoing Towns (Portland Monthly, December 2022)