Father John Misty McDonald Theatre Eugene

The McDonald Theatre is a historic landmark located in the heart of downtown Eugene, Oregon. The venue opened for the public in 1925, and since then, it has been serving as a community theatre for both; screen performances and stage. This theater and music venue first opened as a movie house. Later on, the building was converted to a theater for performing arts. It operated as a movie house after motion pictures exploded until 2000. The theater was listed on the National Registry of Historic Places, with the architecture of the building completed by Thomas & Mercier.

The McDonald Theatre is best known for playing a significant role in the history of the Kesey family. Mr. Kesey’s company provided free admission at the theater for Saturday morning cartoons back in the 1950s. His young sons used to perform magic tricks at cartoons intermission. Soon in 2001, Kesey Enterprises began producing concerts and community events in the theater. Finally, the company purchased the building in 2009, which is the current owner of the venue. The McDonald Theatre hosts a diverse spectrum of events ranging from private weddings, concerts, high school proms, and local children’s stage performances.