The Poncan Theatre opened in 1927 as a vaudeville and silent-movie house, with 1,464 seats, a Wurlitzer organ and a Spanish-revival interior of painted plasterwork and false balconies. The Great Depression and the rise of television cut its audience steadily through the mid-century, and by 1976 it had closed.
A non-profit took it over in 1985 and ran a long, careful restoration that returned the auditorium to its 1927 look. It now hosts touring shows, classic film screenings, the Ponca Playhouse community theatre and the occasional concert. Tours of the building can be arranged in advance.