Harvard Exit Theatre

Harvard Exit Theatre was a Seattle, Washington cinema housed in a historic building originally constructed in 1925 for the Woman's Century Club. The venue became a movie theater in 1969 after Jim Osteen and Art Bernstein converted the building for film exhibition. A preview opening took place on May 20, 1969, and regular screenings began the next day. The building retained important elements of its earlier civic and club history. It had been sold in 1968 under a condition that the lobby remain unaltered, and that requirement helped preserve the character of the entrance during the theater's operation. The Woman's Century Club continued to use the building for its own meetings, including a regular midday gathering on the third Friday of each month. Harvard Exit became part of Seattle's neighborhood cinema culture and was operated by Landmark Theatres for many years. The venue was also associated with local stories that the building was haunted by a woman dressed in 1920s clothing. Reports of the apparition reportedly continued for a period but had ceased by 1987. These stories contributed to the theater's distinctive local identity, although they were not part of its formal commercial offering. The cinema's operating period ended after 2015, when developer Scott Shapiro purchased the building. The property was then converted for office and restaurant use rather than continuing as a movie theater. The Consulate of Mexico subsequently leased space in the building and opened there around July 2018. As a result, Harvard Exit Theatre is best understood as a defunct local cinema brand and a former use of a historically significant Seattle building, rather than as an active national entertainment company.

The Harvard Exit Theatre occupied a building in Seattle that predates the cinema by more than four decades. Constructed in 1925 by the Woman's Century Club, the structure served as a meeting place for the organization and remained connected to the club after its later conversion. In 1968, the building was sold with a stipulation that its lobby could not be altered. That restriction preserved a visible part of the building's earlier identity while allowing a new entertainment use. Jim Osteen and Art Bernstein converted the property into a cinema. The theater held a grand-opening preview on May 20, 1969, and began regular film programming on May 21. Its name referred to the Harvard Avenue area of Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood. The theater functioned as a local movie venue rather than a large multiplex, and its location in a historic building helped distinguish it from purpose-built contemporary cinemas. The building also developed a reputation for alleged paranormal activity. Stories circulated about a ghostly woman wearing clothing associated with the 1920s. These accounts became part of the venue's local lore, although the available historical description does not document a confirmed event or formal marketing program based on the reports. Accounts of the apparition reportedly stopped in 1987. For much of its later cinema life, Harvard Exit Theatre was operated by Landmark Theatres, a company associated with art-house and specialty film exhibition. The available reference material does not identify a complete list of theater managers or a detailed programming chronology, so the theater's executive history and film catalog cannot be reconstructed reliably from the supplied sources. The cinema ceased operating after 2015, when developer Scott Shapiro purchased the building. The property was converted into office and restaurant space, ending Harvard Exit Theatre's use as a film venue. The building subsequently received an international diplomatic use: the Consulate of Mexico leased space there and opened around July 2018. The site's later uses mean that the Harvard Exit name now primarily describes a former Seattle cinema and a chapter in the building's history.

• 2018

  Consulate of Mexico opens in the building

  [1]Harvard Exit Theatreen.wikipedia.org

  The Consulate of Mexico opened in leased space in the redeveloped property around July 2018.

• 2015

  Cinema era ends after redevelopment purchase

  [1]Harvard Exit Theatreen.wikipedia.org

  Developer Scott Shapiro purchased the building, which was subsequently converted to office and restaurant uses.

• 1987

  Reported haunting accounts cease

  [1]Harvard Exit Theatreen.wikipedia.org

  Reports concerning an alleged ghost in 1920s clothing were said to have stopped by this year.

• 1969

  Cinema conversion and opening

  [1]Harvard Exit Theatreen.wikipedia.org

  Jim Osteen and Art Bernstein converted the building into a cinema. A preview opening occurred on May 20, with regular films starting the following day.

• 1968

  Building sold with lobby-preservation condition

  [1]Harvard Exit Theatreen.wikipedia.org

  The property was sold under a condition requiring the lobby to remain unaltered.

• 1925

  Original building constructed

  [1]Harvard Exit Theatreen.wikipedia.org

  The building that later housed Harvard Exit Theatre was constructed for the Woman's Century Club.

A historic neighborhood cinema serving Seattle audiences from a preserved former club building.

• Cinema exhibition · 1969

  Harvard Exit Theatre film screenings

  The theater's core offering was public exhibition of motion pictures in a neighborhood cinema setting. The supplied sources identify the venue as a Seattle cinema and note its operation by Landmark Theatres, but they do not provide a complete record of individual films, series, or programming policies.

• 2015

  Redevelopment and closureStrategy

  Background

  The theater building changed ownership after years of cinema operation by Landmark Theatres.

  Action taken

  Scott Shapiro purchased the property and converted it to office and restaurant space, ending its use as a movie theater.

  Aftermath

  The Harvard Exit Theatre brand became defunct, and the building later accommodated the Consulate of Mexico.

  Source

• 1969

  Conversion of historic club building into a cinemaStrategy

  Background

  A building constructed for the Woman's Century Club was repurposed for movie exhibition after its 1968 sale, while the lobby was protected from alteration.

  Action taken

  Jim Osteen and Art Bernstein converted the property into Harvard Exit Theatre and launched regular screenings in May 1969.

  Aftermath

  The building operated as a Seattle cinema for decades and retained elements of its earlier history.

  Source

1. 1Harvard Exit Theatreen.wikipedia.org