State Theatre

History

The State Theatre, at 719 Congress Avenue next to the Paramount, was built in 1935 by the Interstate Theaters chain as Austin’s first house designed specifically for movies, to plans by architect W. Scott Dunne. After the chain’s decline it screened lower-priced and later adult films, then stood largely empty until Live Oak Theatre moved in during the mid-1990s and a city-funded renovation reopened the auditorium in 1999. In 2000 it merged with the Paramount under the Austin Theatre Alliance. The intimate room, now about 300 seats, is used for live music, comedy, film, and festival shows.