Nonprofit group Arthouse Houston plans to restore the Garden Oaks Theater (1947, Pettigrew & Worley) as an arts and film center. / PH file
After months of fundraising and uncertainty, Arthouse Houston has completed its purchase of the Garden Oaks Theater, saving the 1947 Art Deco cinema from demolition.
KHOU 11 reports that the nonprofit closed on the $7.1 million property following a fundraising campaign supported by more than 900 donors, including Houston-raised filmmakers Wes Anderson and Richard Linklater. The group plans to restore the theater and transform it into an arts and film center, with a reopening anticipated in 2028.
“It's a heavy lift to do preservation work, but Houston is strong, and we can handle it,” Arthouse Houston director and co-founder Maureen McNamara said. “A city that keeps its beauty and uniqueness is a city worth living in.”
Plans include film screenings, live performances, production studios, classrooms and community spaces, along with restoration of the theater's historic marquee, neon blade sign and interior decorative features.