The Rex Theater, Orofino
Orofino, Clearwater County
- Grants: 2025 – Backstage floor and balcony repair
Location: 156 Johnson Ave, Orofino, ID 83544
The Rex Theater in Orofino in one of Idaho’s longest-running movie houses and a cherished cultural landmark for Clearwater County. Originally built during the silent film era, The Rex has grown and evolved as entertainment has changed in the more than a century since it first opened its doors. Beginning as a home to vaudeville acts, silent features and news reels, The Rex ably shifted to talkies, then from black-and-white to Technicolor, and recently retired (2014) its reel-to-reel projectors in favor of contemporary digital formats.
While the form, nature, and technology of film have changed, The Rex has maintained its distinctive vintage marquee and intimate interior. A piano pit, though it is currently covered, is a lovely relic of the Silent Film era, and the theater still has its original film projectors and several reels.The Rex continues to serve as a community hub for first-run films, special screenings, and local events. Its continuity owes much to dedicated owners and volunteers who have maintained the building, adapted its operations, and championed the theater as a living piece of Orofino’s history. Today, the Rex Theater stands as both an active cinema and a tangible link to over a century of American moviegoing, embodying the resilience and community spirit of rural Idaho.
The Rex received a 2025 IHT Heritage Grant to address two areas of softening wood – the floor behind the stage and the balcony (which is only open to employees at the moment). Moist air and water from the basement led to decay in the wood floor. The moisture issues were largely mitigated, however, the damage remains and new structural floor joists will be installed and span the existing area within the basement. Once finished, flooring repair can commence in places where there is severe deterioration or rot. The balcony is currently used for storage of historic projection equipment, seating, and other promotional items, with the projection room centered and set back from the seating. The intent is to eventually open up the balcony for patrons, but the close proximity of multiple wall speakers and concerns of spilled drinks dripping to the floor below make restoration of the balcony a secondary priority.
Visit The Rex Theater or follow their Facebook for upcoming events, showtimes, and updates.
