The Capitol Theater, now the home of the Olympia Film Society, was the crowning achievement of the Zabel family, who owned several movie theaters downtown. It includes terra cotta decorations, stained glass windows depicting each of the five muses, and marble flooring. Anticipating some of today’s theater design features, Zabel installed special seating for parents of small children, assisted-hearing devices, and even an extra-wide seat to accommodate a larger patron. This photograph from 1931 shows the ornate lobby.
Vibert Jeffers photograph 1931, Susan Parish Collection, Washington State Archives AR20090812-ph005643
Text © Deborah Ross and The Olympian