The 1,025 seat Paramount first opened its doors to the public on June 27, 1930. Designed by the noted theatrical architects Rapp & Rapp to simulate the grand opera houses of Europe, the Paramount was originally designed as a movie theatre. The venue began a new life as a home for the arts in 1981, when the nonprofit Paramount Center for the Arts, Inc. was founded to preserve the historic theatre for cultural uses. A full calendar of events is offered all year long, including music, dance, and theatre performances by local repertory companies and national touring acts, foreign and domestic feature films, visual art exhibitions, and arts-in -education programs for schools. Over 50,000 a year attend Paramount events.
