On Sept. 20, 1948 Varsity Theatre opened with the premier of “Triple Threat”. Sixty-six years later, the theatre closed its doors. In late August, the theatre officially shut down due to lack of funding for necessary repairs. According to many students, the Varsity Theatre was an integral piece of Canyon’s legacy.
“You go down to the square, you see the soda shop, you see the bakery, you see Palace. On Fourth, you see the bookstore, you see the antique store and smoke shop, and finally you see the theatre,” Lance White, senior Mechanical Engineering major, said. “It’s one of the most iconic parts of Canyon.”
Varsity Theatre offered free movie nights for West Texas A&M University students, and was known for its prices in comparison to competitor theatres in local cities. Adult tickets were $5 and  tickets for children under 12 were $3.
“The freshmen from this year and on are getting the short end of the stick,” White said. “They don’t get that experience of sitting with their friends in the old theatre, eating popcorn and having a good time on free movie night.”
Gary Cathey, owner of Varsity Theatre, made a career out of the movie theatre industry and still keeps the Facebook page running with updates, while members of the community still engage with his content.
“It [the theatre] really brought the community together to have a place where everyone could go to have a good experience,” Teresa Wilbur, former employee of Varsity Theatre, said.
As for the future of the location, Wilbur said that a business operating there must be able to effectively utilize the restrictive parking. The Varsity Theatre is now available for rent and those interested in renting must contact building owner Bryan Poff.
“Any business that sets up in the location will have to consider the parking situation,” Wilbur said. “It is only one-hour parking during daytime hours, and is limited after hours, so the business that takes over will have to adopt a come-and-go method.”
The loss of the theatre could also drive students to find entertainment venues in Amarillo instead.
“The Varsity Theatre closing not only takes away a part of Canyon, but makes one less thing to keep students here,” Dr. Bruce Brasington, a WTAMU history professor, said. “The sense of community would be so much higher if more students would stay, but with one less option for entertainment, it seems like they will continue to scatter.”