05/23/2026
Great Bend: America 250 Series 🇺🇸
1950 - Prior to its Nov. 9, 1950, grand opening, the corner of Lakin Avenue and Kansas Avenue was occupied by the Kansan Theater. The Kansan was demolished to build the current-day Crest Theater as a more modern building was needed to meet fire standards.
The Crest Theater was considered cutting-edge at the time, with 985 seats between the orchestra and balcony, along with Perlite ceilings, fireproof seats and curtains, a pay phone, miniature water fountain, a cry room and reservable party room. The eye-catching marquee of 860 flashing bulbs, 20 floodlights and 3,000 feet of neon tubing continues to proudly ignite downtown Great Bend to this day.
Many small-town and city historical theaters closed throughout the 1960s and 1970s as populations depleted. The Great Bend Crest Theater shut down in 1979 before resuming operations in 1992 from the collaboration of the City of Great Bend and the organization.
Since then, the Crest has been restored and modified with an extended stage, updated bathrooms, HVAC system, new carpet, curtains, sound system and lights.
Over the last seven decades, Crest Theater has served as a staple of entertainment in central Kansas as a multi-purpose venue. It has hosted various plays, movies, seminars, dances, lectures and concerts throughout its tenure and has retained its historical integrity throughout the last 75 years, being listed on the National Register of Historical Places in February 2005.
x
