Historic Park Theatre
Opened in 1913, the Park Theatre is the oldest original single-screen movie house in continuous operation in the United States and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. Ralph Gwynn bought it in 1922 and in the late 1920s erected the 80-foot neon tower that defines the downtown skyline. Locals dubbed it the "Tower of Love," believing Gwynn raised it for the woman he loved; a darker ghost-tour version holds he built it for a bride who jilted him at the altar, beautiful outside and hollow within. Gwynn lived in an apartment behind the screen and died there, and his spirit is the building's most reported resident, said to linger in the projection room and to "join" the guided ghost tours. The theater runs hour-long ghost tours and late-night ghost hunts with paranormal equipment, telling stories of resident spirits dating back to 1913.
📍 130 Moraine Ave, Estes Park, CO 80517, Estes Park, CO · Get directions