Warnors Center for the Performing Arts

Fresno’s iconic, 2100-seat theater was built in 1928, (for $1.5 million dollars!), by Vaudeville Theatre Tycoon, Alexander Panatges. Pantages was a Greek immigrant who came to the US with very little and built an empire. His circuit of theatres around North America featured both live performances and film. The Architect, Marcus B. Priteca, was another successful immigrant from Scotland. He designed the ornate building in an eclectic blend of Moorish, Spanish and Italian renaissance revival elements.

The “Pantages Theatre” operated for only 1 year before a Hollywood-noir style scandal ruined Pantages. The Warner Brothers company purchased most of the Pantages properties and changed them into Warner Brothers Theatres. After approximately 30 years the theatre was then purchased by Cinerama and the name was changed from “Warner Brothers Theatre” to “Warnors Theatre”, the name it has maintained to date.

In the 1970’s local business owner Frank Caglia purchased the building at auction from the City of Fresno, protecting the building from possible demolition. Over the next several decades the Caglia family maintained and safeguarded the Warnors building. In 1978, the building was designated as a registered historic building. It is currently on the federal, state, and local registries! The building is now owned and operated by Warnors Center for the Performing Arts, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization.

Why Should You Care?

In recent years, the theater has experienced many hardships. A lack of proper funding and neglect during COVID is slowly killing this building. The Warnors Theater is in dire need of a full-scale renovation, costing millions upon millions of dollars— but the theater needs to make it long enough to get to that renovation.

The Warnors Center for the performing arts is home to one of the very last Morton Pipe Organs (one out of three, to be exact). The pipe organ is a nearly extinct instrument; the once iconic sound has now become rather esoteric. Not many people get to hear the beautiful symphonies of the pipe organ, but us Fresno people are lucky enough to be able to experience it. There are quarterly concerts at no cost for the community to enjoy.

Speaking of community, the Warnors Theater is crucial to Fresno’s history and overall culture. The theater hosts many events to support and enrich the arts in Fresno, such as comedy, dance, music, and much, much more. In a time where technology is taking over the arts, a safe space for true art to thrive is absolutely crucial.

Plus, it’s beautiful. Every time you visit, you find new details.

The Warnors Theater is a place to make memories with family, friends, and loved ones. Keep Fresno’s history alive today.

How to Help?

Other than donating directly on this GoFundMe, you can join the Warnors Membership program linked below.

Warnors Membership Program

Thank you.

-A member of the Fresno community who cares