Yuma Art Center

The Yuma Art Center features the 640 seat Historic Theatre and hosts many special events throughout the year. The center can be used for business or private meetings, weddings and holiday parties. There are classrooms and art studios available for use along with a photography darkroom, pottery studio, and four visual art galleries for visitors to view and a gift shop with unique objects available.

The Yuma Theatre was built in 1912 and was originally used for vaudeville performances and as a movie house. It is located on Main Street in the central business district of Yuma and the theatre has played a vital role in the commercial, cultural and social history of the town.

The theatre is managed by the City of Yuma and regular events held here include original film screenings, children's matinees on Saturday's, Arizona Historical Society tours, jazz festivals, education workshops, choir concerts and graduation ceremonies. The theatre features excellent acoustics and state of the art lighting, sound and digital projection capabilities due to recent improvements to the theatre.

When the theatre was first purchased by Anna Desmond it was known as the Zellar Theatre. It was the first theatre in the town to have fixed seating and a raked orchestra along with the ability to show motion pictures. A fire in 1913 destroyed the theatre portion of the building requiring rebuilding. The Yuma Theatre had a grand opening on January 12, 1927.