“It’s about bringing in a community, having that experience that you’re not going to get with streaming, you’re only going to get with a room full of people.”

After more than 50 years of catering to students, film buffs, and neighbors looking for a space to gather and belong, Seattle’s longest continually running moving theater, the Grand Illusion Cinema, recently dropped the final curtain…at least in their current location. They knew this day was likely to come when the building that served as the theater’s home for decades was sold in 2023, but the plot thickened when the new landlord declined to renew their lease in early 2025. As the cinema looks to relocate, Seattle Channel producer Drew Highlands and Vanishing Seattle’s Cynthia Brothers visited the space to learn just what made the little theater so special and plans for creating an even Grander Illusion someplace new.

The Grand Illusion Cinema, originally named The Movie House, was opened in 1970 by Randy Findley. Housed in a converted dentist’s office in the U District, the theater became the city’s first arthouse and a gathering spot for students to watch foreign and revival films not shown in larger theaters. In 1979, the theater was purchased by Paul Doyle who changed the name to the Grand Illusion. Near the turn of the century, it was sold to nonprofit film arts organization, the Northwest Film Forum, who renovated the theater, saving it from closure and renewed community interest in the esteemed institution.  

In 2004, a group of longtime volunteers bought the theater and made it into an independent arts non-profit of its own. Since then, a devoted group of supporters have dedicated their time and energy into upholding the character and tradition of the valued neighborhood staple. Thousands of independent films, cinema rarities, and film classics have brought neighbors together, to laugh, cry, and be surprised in the cozy movie house.  

“Some of the first, most interesting movies I saw, I saw here,” says Beth Fuget, Grand Illusion Patron. “I love this theater. It’s about being in community with other people that are interested in the same kinds of things, and actually, standing in line and talking with my neighbors in line, was a huge part of it.”

If you’re interested in a little more history, check out Paul Dorpat’s, Seattle Now and Then.

This story was created by our friends at The Seattle Channel. We are highlighting it as part of our Stories in Place series which focuses on places around Seattle, big and small, that community members hold near and dear. If there is a place you would like to feature in this series let us know! Send your suggestions to seattleneighborhoods@seattle.gov.