Yost Theater-Ritz Hotel
National Register of Historic Places

Yost Theater-Ritz Hotel

Santa Ana, Orange County, California
Listed
January 23, 1986
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
86000107

About this property

The Yost Theater is a concert and events venue in Santa Ana, California. It is a National Register of Historic Places-listed building located in Santa Ana's Downtown Historic District. Under the ownership of the Olivos Family it became a movie house for the Golden Age of Mexican Cinema. In recent years it housed various church organizations and underwent renovation in 2007. It is currently an event venue that hosts such functions as concerts, Ted Talks, school dances, and weddings. The Yost first opened as the "Auditorium Theater" in 1913. It then was renamed the "Clune's Santa Ana Theater" the same year. It was not until Ed Yost purchased the theater that it acquired the name, Yost Theater. In 1950 the theater was leased to Luis Olivos, father of Louie Olivos Jr. The theater housed vaudeville, silent films, and talkies before it became a Mexican cinema house under the Olivos Family. Louie Olivos Jr. brought talent of Mexican cinema to the Yost including Antonio Aguilar, and Vicente Fernández to name some. He also brought Ike and Tina Turner and Sonny and Cher to the Yost. The Chase Family, developers of the Fiesta Marketplace shopping district, purchased the Yost from the City of Santa Ana in 1986. After this purchase the theater became a church, and as a result of this, the structure suffered defacing and alteration of its interior. In 2007, the Los Angeles Times reported that the Yost Theater would be reopened for the benefit of the community at large. Restoration and conversion to a live theatre was carried out by architect Thomas Berkes, and it reopened as a concert and live performance venue that same year. Following the reopening, the Centro Cultural de México began programming concerts and related events, including an appearance of Dolores Huerta, Director of United Farm Workers, and a lecture on Frida Kahlo by Mexican art connoisseur Gregorio Luke. On August 23, 2010, the City of Santa Ana Planning Commission voted unanimously to approve Conditional Use Permits No. 2010-04, No. 2010-05, and No. 2010-06 that allowed the venue to be operated after-hours, with a Type 47 ABC license, and as a banquet facility. National Register of Historic Places listings in Orange County, California El Cine Yost and the Power of Place for Mexican Migrants in Orange County, California, 1930-1990

Location

301--307 N. Spurgeon St.
Santa Ana, Orange County, California
33.74732, -117.86535

Categories

ENTERTAINMENT/RECREATIONARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Odd Fellows Hall
Industrial
0.1 mi
Santa Ana City Hall
Industrial
0.1 mi
Walkers Orange County Theater
Industrial
0.1 mi
Builders Exchange Building
Industrial
0.2 mi
Rankin Building
Civil War
0.2 mi

Questions about this property

When was Yost Theater-Ritz Hotel listed on the National Register?

Yost Theater-Ritz Hotel was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on January 23, 1986.

What type of historic resource is Yost Theater-Ritz Hotel?

Yost Theater-Ritz Hotel is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Yost Theater-Ritz Hotel?

The period of significance for Yost Theater-Ritz Hotel is recorded as the industrial era.

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