Mount Baker Theatre
Encyclopedia
The Mount Baker Theatre is a 1,509-seat performing arts venue and national historic landmark in Bellingham, Washington
. The theater hosts professional productions and concerts as well as community performances from the north of Puget Sound
. The theater's main stage is the largest theatrical venue in Washington north of Seattle's Paramount
and 5th Avenue
.
The Mount Baker Theatre was designed by architect Robert Reamer
(who also designed Seattle's 5th Avenue Theatre) in a Moorish–Spanish style. Popular legend holds that the building is haunted by a ghost named Judy. The facility is owned by the city of Bellingham and managed by the nonprofit
Mount Baker Theatre organization, headed by president Gary Barnett and executive director Brad Burdick.
is 1,509 people. An orchestra pit sits five feet below the stage and can hold 25 musicians. The theater has a professional lighting and sound system, a large movie screen and projection room, and a historic pipe organ.
The theater was in a historic part of downtown. Bellingham's Carnegie library was just south of the theater. The Bellingham Tower stands tall to the theater's west. The tower was built as a luxurious hotel; it is an office building with a café at street level and a fine dining restaurant on the top floor. At 15 stories, it is the tallest building in Bellingham and Whatcom County
. The original City Hall, built in 1891, stands two blocks west of the theater and is home to the Whatcom Museum. The Bellingham Bank Building, Federal Building, and Crown Plaza are within a few blocks to the southeast.
, and psychics spent a night in the theater to find evidence of paranormal activity.
Bellingham, Washington
Bellingham is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Whatcom County in the U.S. state of Washington. It is the twelfth-largest city in the state. Situated on Bellingham Bay, Bellingham is protected by Lummi Island, Portage Island, and the Lummi Peninsula, and opens onto the Strait of Georgia...
. The theater hosts professional productions and concerts as well as community performances from the north of Puget Sound
Puget Sound region
The Puget Sound region is an inland area of the Pacific Northwest in Washington , including Puget Sound, the Puget Sound lowlands, and the surrounding region roughly west of the Cascade Range and east of the Olympic Mountains.- History :...
. The theater's main stage is the largest theatrical venue in Washington north of Seattle's Paramount
Paramount Theatre (Seattle, Washington)
The Paramount Theatre in Seattle, Washington is a 2,807-seat performing arts venue at 9th Avenue and Pine Street in Downtown Seattle in the United States of America. The theater originally opened March 1, 1928 as the Seattle Theatre with 3,000 seats, the theater was placed on the National Register...
and 5th Avenue
5th Avenue Theatre
The 5th Avenue Theatre is a landmark theater building located in Seattle, Washington, USA. It has hosted a variety of theatre productions and motion pictures since it opened in 1926. The building and land is owned by the University of Washington and was once part of the original campus...
.
The Mount Baker Theatre was designed by architect Robert Reamer
Robert Reamer
Robert Reamer was an American architect, most noted for the Old Faithful Inn in Yellowstone National Park. Reamer was born in and spent his early life in Oberlin, Ohio. He left home at the age of thirteen and went to work in an architect's office in Detroit as a draftsman...
(who also designed Seattle's 5th Avenue Theatre) in a Moorish–Spanish style. Popular legend holds that the building is haunted by a ghost named Judy. The facility is owned by the city of Bellingham and managed by the nonprofit
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
Mount Baker Theatre organization, headed by president Gary Barnett and executive director Brad Burdick.
Facility
The Mount Baker Theatre occupies half a city block. It has three distinct facilities for concerts, live theater, films, receptions, and other events. All public facilities, except the balcony, are fully ADA accessible. Some non-public facilities, such as backstage and storage spaces, may not be accessible.Main Theater
The main theater contains large stage facing floor and balcony seating. Using the main floor and balcony, seating capacitySeating capacity
Seating capacity refers to the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, both in terms of the physical space available, and in terms of limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that seats two to a stadium that seats...
is 1,509 people. An orchestra pit sits five feet below the stage and can hold 25 musicians. The theater has a professional lighting and sound system, a large movie screen and projection room, and a historic pipe organ.
Encore Room
The Encore Room is a 1200 ft2 reception hall or meeting space in the southern portion of the theater. It can accommodate 120 people in standard seating and 60-80 seated at tables. A kitchen is adjacent to the room.Walton Theater
The Walton Theatre is named in honor of Harold and Irene Walton. It is a smaller performance space west of the main theater. There are attached restrooms and a kitchen.Events
The Mount Baker Theatre hosts a variety events including live theater, concerts, movies, arts festivals, and comedy shows.History
The Mount Baker Theater was built in 1927 to provide entertainment for a growing city. It was designed by architect Robert Reamer. Originally, it held live theater and concerts. A screen was added later to show silent movies.The theater was in a historic part of downtown. Bellingham's Carnegie library was just south of the theater. The Bellingham Tower stands tall to the theater's west. The tower was built as a luxurious hotel; it is an office building with a café at street level and a fine dining restaurant on the top floor. At 15 stories, it is the tallest building in Bellingham and Whatcom County
Whatcom County, Washington
Whatcom County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. Its name ultimately derives from the Lummi word Xwotʼqom, meaning "noisy water." As of 2010, the population was 201,140. The county seat is at Bellingham, which is also the county's largest city...
. The original City Hall, built in 1891, stands two blocks west of the theater and is home to the Whatcom Museum. The Bellingham Bank Building, Federal Building, and Crown Plaza are within a few blocks to the southeast.
Ghost
For decades, theater staff have reported unusual phenomena, which has led to an urban legend of a ghost. In August 2010, paranormal investigators, affiliated with the Sci-Fi Channel's show Ghost HuntersGhost Hunters
Ghost Hunters is an American paranormal reality television series that premiered on October 6, 2004, on Syfy . The program features paranormal investigators Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson who investigate places that are reported to be haunted. The two originally worked as plumbers for Roto-Rooter as...
, and psychics spent a night in the theater to find evidence of paranormal activity.