Wilson Theatre then and now: Historic downtown Fresno theater celebrates 95 years

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- A downtown Fresno landmark marked a major milestone on Wednesday.

The historic Wilson Theater opened 95 years ago on February 3 on the corner of Fulton and Stanislaus Streets.

The Pop Laval Foundation shared photos of the theater's opening night, showing a glimpse at a long line that waited outside.

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Another photo from 1926 shows the site under construction. The foundation said building the theater cost about $500,000.

It featured movies and entertainment acts for many decades. Today, the building is home to Cornerstone Church.

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Renovation of the Rowell Building at Tulare and Van Ness is expected to be completed in 6 weeks, and construction on the Hotel Fresno is expected in three weeks.

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The old Expositor building in downtown Fresno dates back to 1881 but it isn't recognizable now because the front of the building was covered up many decades ago.