Sitting quietly on the streets of San Francisco is a remarkable former theatre known as the El Rey. 

It is known for its extreme height and is located on Ocean Avenue on the Ingleside neighborhood in San Francisco. The theatre has been empty since 2016 and is about to witness a huge change. The building was bought by a church organization known as The Fathers House SF. The cost of the purchase was not stated.  

The group is hoping to eventually reopen the building by 2027 while also creating a large refurbishment of the building itself, and giving to the community by turning part of the building into a community center. 

Annika Shehu ’26 stated, “The building looks like it’s been falling apart for some time, and bringing in a new group of people can maybe help to restore it.” 

Others like Sofia Pena ’26 believe, “While the theatre may lose some of its history, I am glad that the space is being used to help others in the community.”

Before the purchase, the El Rey hadn’t been used as a movie theatre in almost half a century. The theatre was opened in 1931 and was designed by Timothy Pflueger who was an SF architect who also designed the Castro Theatre. Over the years, the building has sat quietly dormant, after previously being used for all kinds of events like clubs, schools, various artists and many more. 

The El Rey Theatre has been a San Francisco landmark since 2017. Many have not heard of this theater in particular, but may occasionally pass by it or take note of it due to its enormous height. 

Amber Oneto ’26 stated, “Sometimes I’ll be driving into the city alone, with my mom or sometimes with friends and I pass by this theatre and I always take note of how gigantic it really is and the large pillar reaching up into the sky.” 

While the El Rey Theatre has been standing for more than 90 years, the community hopes the building will find new light under its new owners and be refurbished for the next generation of people to come.