Weekend Showcase: Robbin Gallery’s Terrace Theatre Exhibit
If you have fond memories of the Terrace Theater in Robbinsdale, you won’t want to miss the current exhibit at the Robbin Gallery.
“This show is probably the accumulation of two and a half years work,” said David Leonhardt of the Terrace Legacy Project.
The Terrace Legacy Project in collaboration with Robbinsdale Historical Society put the exhibit together. The exhibit is a historical timeline that covers long ago theaters in Robbinsdale and North Minneapolis like the Nile and Riverview. But the bulk of the exhibit pays tribute to the Terrace.
“This was billed as Americas finest theater and it really was,” explains Pete Richie, historian with the Robbinsdale Historical Society. “They got the finest carpets they could find. It was the same carpet maker that made the carpets for the Supreme Court.”
Unearthing Terrace Treasures
Visitors to the Terrace Legacy Project will see evidence of the Terrace’s heyday. Historians unearthed several treasures from their archives.
“We found some things that, you know, people haven’t seen, some of it for 60 years, 70 years,” said Leonhardt.
For example, you can see the original guest book from the Terrace.
“This was used by the Volk brothers when the theater opened in 1951. It has probably somewhere in the area of 15,000 signatures,” said Leonhardt.
The exhibit also has two restored letters from the Terrace which used to sit atop its tower. Although all the letters were salvaged, many sustained considerable damage during demolition of the building. Also on display is one of the original chandeliers that hung in the Terrace lobby.
“Just because it is gone doesn’t mean the legacy isn’t around. People still remember the Terrace. They still talk about it and you know, they’ll continue to talk about it,” said Leonhardt.
It is truly a fascinating exhibit and worth your time stopping by. The Terrace Legacy Project is on display at the Robbin Gallery through August 31st.
