Tacoma West Cinemas 1-3

1802 S Mildred St Tacoma WA 98465

Information for this tour was contributed by Mark Campbell.

The original 3-screen Tacoma West Cinemas was opened by SRO Theatres in the late 1970s. Two roughly 300 seat auditoriums flanked a small one in the 200 seat range. All featured Dolby Stereo emitted by numerous small surrounds and the screens had proper motorized side masking for scope films. This triplex was older and smaller, but very similar to SRO's Sehome Cinemas in Bellingham, WA and Totem Lake Cinemas in Kirkland, WA.

In December 1983, a 2 Screen addition was added across the parking lot featuring a roughly 300 seat and 200 seat auditorium. This coincided with SRO's opening of the Tacoma South Cinemas across town on the same day and AMC's Narrows Plaza 8 opening just a couple blocks away from the Tacoma West, thereby officially breaking the Tacoma/Lakewood area into multiple booking zones for the first time. The Tacoma West's December 1983 expansion slate of holiday films was "Uncommon Valor", "The Keep", "Yentl", "The Man Who Loved Women" and "Christine". The theatre faced stiff competition from the more popular Narrows Plaza 8, plus the confusion which of the two buildings to go to for your film and separate box offices did not help.

Cineplex Odeon took over SRO Theatres in late 1986. Although the Tacoma West continued to get its share of first run features, mainly from Paramount, Warner, Columbia and MGM/UA, increasingly it began to show films too long into their runs and it would get move-overs from the Narrows Plaza 8.

In 1990, Cineplex opened the Tacoma Central 6 only three miles away, creating more competition for itself. In 1997 after a brief run as a discount house, the Tacoma West was shuttered. The original Triplex has since been demolished, but the newer twin is currently a closed restaurant.

• Cinema Treasures

Return to the top of this page   or   Return to the main page

Last featured 2002-12-27. Last edited 12/17/2023.