Once Mill Valley had a Hub. Opened in 1915, the Hub Theater was once at the heart of Mill Valley's artistic life. It opened with Charlie Chaplin movies, accompanied at the piano and organ by young Hattie Krausegill. Admission was 25 cents, with Saturday matinees a bargain nickel. Live vaudeville shows also drew residents downtown.
It was a time when everyone got together to see a show or work behind the scenes. Over the years, the theater changed under the pressures of economic hard times. It became an Odd Fellows Lodge in the 1950's and in the mid 1970's it was rented for the classic Saturday Nite Movie. These popular programs once more brought people together, which led to another artistic milestone for the community: the founding of the Mill Valley Film Festival.
Today, once again, the theater is an active hub. It is a magnet for a broad spectrum of performers and artists in the fields of theater, film, music, dance, and fine art. It offers our community a window to the wider world and a place to gather, to learn, and to celebrate the various arts together.
