History

Construction of the theatre was begun in 1913 by J.L. Jackson, and it was completed by C.H. Bond. Fred jackson bought the theatre in 1918 and then in 1922 sold it to Ralph Gwynn in 1922. In 1922, Gwynn added the lobby and in 1929  the landmark tower. This structure became known as the Tower of Love, because Gwynn built it to represent the beautiful love of his life. Gwynn operated the theatre until his death.

When Gwynn died in 1963, businessman Vic Walker bought the theatre from Gwynn's estate. Not knowing much about the theatre business, he enlisted the help of Gwynn's long time friend and associate, John Ramey, to keep the theatre running.

Ola & Mickey Stanger began operating the Park Theatre in 1967, when they did some significant renovations. They initially leased it from Vic Walker, and later purchased the theatre from him in 1982. The Stanger Family with help of John Ramey and Ed Casey got the Theater on the National Historic Register of Places in 1984.  Mickey and Ola Stanger passed away in 2003 and 2005, respectively. Through the collaborative efforts of the Stanger descendants, the Park Theatre continued to operate now year round as a Movie Theatre, live event area, for concerts, tours, ghost hunts, weddings, reunions and more. In January of 2026 the Theatre gained the Support and help from Whimsadoodle a Non- profit organization dedicated to the Arts and Betterment of Estes Park.  The Theatre will in 2026 continues to be run by Jenna MacGregor- a Stanger Granddaughter & other Great Grandchildren of the Stanger's Family.  

Mickey and Ola Stanger started out in the cinema business when they bought the Windsor Theatre (Windsor, Colorado) in 1946. In 1954, they moved to Denver to build the Evans Drive-In Theatre, which they operated (with their 2 children, Sharon and Andrew) as a family business for many years. And in 1964, they purchased the Lake Estes Drive-In Theatre in Estes Park, which was also family-operated. You will now see grandchildren and great grandchildren helping you at the Historic Park Theatre with Whimsadoodle at the helm in 2026 and beyond we are excited about the Historic Park Theatre's Future. 

The Park Theatre has survived a variety of hazards throughout the years, including wind, lightning, and flood damage, and Pandemics. After the Lawn Lake flood of 1982, Estes Park passed a new sign code that banned all neon signs in Estes Park. The Stangers were able to restore the neon lights on the Park Theatre tower by getting a special variance (via a city ballot initiative).