Built in 1925, Coos Bay’s Egyptian Theatre is one of the few 1920s Egyptian Revival theaters to survive nearly a century of change in public tastes.

Harry Noble and H.J. Clark built the building’s shell in 1922. In the wake of World War I, building supplies were rationed for essential construction only, and ornate movie theaters weren’t allowed. So they called it the Motor Inn Garage and Service Station.

When building restrictions were lifted, Noble and Clark began turning the structure into an Egyptian-style movie palace. The 1922 discovery of King Tut’s tomb had captivated the public’s imagination, and about 100 Egyptian-style theaters were built across North America in this era.

Generations have enjoyed the Egyptian, posing for pictures on the Pharoah’s lap and thrilling to the mighty Wurlitzer organ. The theater originally held 1,274, but several remodels have reduced the capacity to 770.

In 2005, the theater was closed. In 2006, the City of Coos Bay bought the building and contracted with the nonprofit Egyptian Theatre Preservation Association to operate it. In 2010, the Egyptian was added to the National Register of Historic Places. In 2011, structural defects forced closing of the theater. But ETPA raised a million dollars to restore the building, raising the community’s awareness of this landmark. In 2014, the Egyptian reopened and is once again hosting movies, concerts and public events.