1090 - Vaska Theatre

From the 1920s through the 1960s, America was experiencing the golden age of cinema. After the devastation of the Great Depression and the havoc and stress created by World War II, Oklahomans were craving normalcy, and an air of possibility and optimism pulsed through the town of Lawton. On March 4, 1948, along a dusty, dirt road, the Vaska Theatre opened for the first time.

A three-sided neon sign stretching 60-feet in the air welcomed moviegoers for the first showing, the Fred MacMurray film called “Smoky”, a picture show filled with cowboys, crime, and wild horses. While the movie was the main event, visitors could stroll the neighborhood shops built around the building. A drug store, a barber shop, a tot and teen shop, a beauty parlor, and a fine foods store lined the streets next to the Vaska on opening day. Imagine the hustle and bustle of activity after the credits rolled, the smell of popcorn lingering in the air. It wasn’t long before the Vaska Theatre became a beloved gem in the community of Lawton.

For over seven decades, the theater has been a staple of this southern Oklahoma town. You can still find pieces from the very beginning, including the iconic neon sign. In 2015, the Vaska Theatre changed hands, with the new owner providing a much-deserved facelift. New seats, fresh paint, and other renovations are bringing it back to its original glory. A second screen was added in 2022, allowing more opportunities for patrons to take in film. The Vaska Theatre holds over seventy years and counting of memories, and continues to be a cherished fixture in Lawton.