Capitol Theater, 100-year-old 'picture palace' wins award 

Designing the 'picture palace' 

Prominent Olympia architect Joseph Wohleb designed Capitol Theater in the Revival/Beaux Arts style. It features terra cotta, stained glass, marble, Greek Muses, and a niche on either side of the stage that once held State Capitol building replicas. Tasked with creating a single-screen “picture palace” for “amusement lovers” with space for orchestras and pipe organs to accompany silent films, he did it with style, to suit silent films and vaudeville. 

The Zabels 

Local theater impresario E.A. Zabel, built the theater with his partner William Wilson. They had sponsored theater entertainment in Olympia since 1909 and opened this over-the-top achievement to great fanfare in 1924. The Zabel family operated the theater for five decades, also commissioning Wohleb to design their home in 1931, a brick English Revival.  

At the theater, the Zabel sons shoveled coal for the furnace, and met the “Mosquito Fleet” steamships (active 1850s-1930s) at the Olympia dock, to pick up movie reels. Reels of film are heavy; for instance, the movie Lawrence of Arabia weighs 500 pounds.  

The family also owned other theaters in the area. A few include the Rex, Ray, Acme, plus Sunset Drive-In (for 23 of its 37-years), where Tumwater City Hall now stands. 

In 2024, Zabel family members were honored guests at Capitol Theater’s centennial celebration. By the way, if you have lived around Olympia very long, you may remember that in their later years, Art and Peggy Zabel were also famous for their private Rhododendron garden, annually attracting thousands of visitors. 

Unique 

Unlike most other movie theaters, the 762-seat Capitol Theater has always been locally owned and has only operated as a theater. Other than Covid-related closure, it has never shut its doors. It has three types of projectors and can run rare films that are not viewable elsewhere on the US West Coast. 

Olympia Film Society 

Over time, the building declined. Community members united and The Olympia Film Society (OFS) formed in 1980 to restore Capitol Theater and present film, music, and art. Since 1986, OFS has been its sole tenant/caretaker. In 1990, they leased it, and in 2010, purchased it. Once purchased, they began to work in earnest… and on they go. 

 Stewardship award 

In January 2025, the OFS was given the Stewardship Award by the Olympia Historical Society and Bigelow House Museum (OHS&BHM), celebrating 100 years of the Capitol Theater. Greg Griffith, OHS & BHM Board of Trustees president shared that "the OFS is honored with our heritage award for their stewardship by preserving the building’s historic character and celebrating it as a beloved place to experience Olympia’s vibrant arts and entertainment scene."

The Tour 

I toured the building with Mr. Griffith and other history-lovers. We were led by OFS Executive Director Audrey Henley and saw the auditorium, lounge, crying room, projector room, and backstage hardware, such as the scaffolding used to help Peter Pan “fly.” We saw everything, except the artesian well in the cellar. 

We learned of many improvements completed, and those still on their to-do list. Many important (and costly) projects, such as those related to building structure and safety, are not apparent to the casual observer. Others are, such as the upcoming marque project (re-installing the 1931 marque) and the expanding sidewalk project. 

You can be a philanthropist 

The Capitol Theater operates via membership, donations, grants, and ticket sales,” We’d never stay in business just with $15 ticket sales,” quipped Henly. They desperately need funds to maintain/improve the building, and fund entertainment. You can also volunteer for the many jobs available, or even join the Board! My dream job, as a teenager, was to operate the projector in the “little room on high.” I guess it’s never too late! 

You can be an internet sleuth for theater 

Some things can’t be totally undone, like damage from earthquakes and fire. Both have happened at the Capitol Theater. Others can be undone. A past owner once sold furniture and fixtures. A few years later, Director Henley met a man at a film festival wearing a bowler hat and monocle. He said he was from a Michigan family who bought or rescued the items. In storage, he offered to return them, if used for the theater. Sadly, the slip of paper he wrote on was lost. If anyone could discover the identity of this man or his family, it would be a great gift. 

What the theater offers now 

Capitol Theater, at 206 Fifth Avenue SE in Olympia, shows mainstream award-winning films, independent films, foreign films, concerts, plus other events and productions, plus community. Next door to the theater is the Information and Museum Annex. Go there to buy merchandise or concert tickets, and learn more about the theater’s history. 

Shirley Stirling, of Lacey, writes about good things people in Thurston County are doing. If you'd like to nominate someone to be profiled, contact her at shirley@theJOLTnews.com or comment below.