Entry No. 4 — the Grand Junction file — filed under: art-immersive
Egyptian Theatre
“It still runs movies.”
Tut-mania built more than a hundred Egyptian movie palaces in the 1920s; six of the Second Revival kind survive, and one is on Delta's Main Street. Montana Fallis — the architect behind Denver's Mayan — finished this one in 1928, with artist Joe Sheffler painting pharaoh busts and murals down the walls. On March 2, 1933, a Fox manager tested a $30 cash drawing here called Bank Night; within three years 4,000 American theaters had licensed it. Restorers later peeled wallpaper off the original artwork. It still runs movies.
The story
When Howard Carter cracked open King Tut’s tomb in 1922, he unwittingly set off a wild design fever that swept across American pop culture. Movie palace moguls built over a hundred Egyptian Revival cinema halls to capitalize on the craze, but only six of the Second Revival style survive today. One of them happens to sit right on Main Street in Delta, Colorado. Designed by Montana Fallis—the same architect behind Denver’s famous Mayan Theatre—the Egyptian opened in 1928 with artist Joe Sheffler covering the auditorium walls in hand-painted pharaoh busts and ornate hieroglyphic-style murals.
What you didn't hear in history class is that this sleepy Western Slope theater accidentally invented modern movie marketing. On March 2, 1933, in the bleak heart of the Great Depression, a Fox manager named Charles U. Yeager used the Egyptian to launch a trial run of a game called Bank Night. Patrons paid for a movie ticket, registered their names in a ledger, and stood a chance to win a $30 cash pool drawn live on stage before the picture started. The stunt was a sensation; within three years, over 4,000 theaters across the nation had licensed the Bank Night system to fill empty seats.
As the decades rolled on and Delta's population shifted, the theater faced tough competition from newer multiplexes in Grand Junction and Montrose. Sheffler’s intricate plaster pharaohs were buried under layers of plain wallpaper and cover paint to modernize the hall. Rather than letting the structure slip into oblivion, dedicated restorers eventually peeled back the wallpaper to expose the original 1928 artwork, and a local nonprofit took over operations in 2022 to keep the single screen lit for the community.
What it's like
You'll spot the classic marquee along 452 Main Street, where free angle parking runs right along the block. Step inside street-level into a single-screen room that feels entirely unbothered by 21st-century multiplex trends. Because the building operates as a nonprofit venue showing just one film at a time, you'll want to double-check their online schedule before making the 45-minute drive down US-50 from Grand Junction. Slip into your seat twenty minutes early so you can trace Joe Sheffler’s restored pharaoh busts and side-wall murals before the house lights dim.
The move: Buy tickets for whatever is on the single screen, arrive twenty minutes early, and trace Joe Sheffler's pharaoh busts and murals before the house lights drop.
📍 Before you go The theatre sits at 452 Main Street in downtown Delta, on the US-50 corridor about 45 minutes south of Grand Junction, with free angle parking along the block. It is a single screen run by a nonprofit since 2022, so there is one film at a time — check their site for the current run before making the drive. The entrance is street level under the marquee, and downtown Delta's historic murals and Confluence Park make easy add-ons for the rest of the evening.
- 📍 Delta
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 452 Main St, Delta, CO 81416
Hours: Added 2026-06-11 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- Tru Vu Drive-In — Pair indoor 1920s cinema history with Delta's 1955 single-screen outdoor drive-in just a mile down the road for a double-header night out.
- Captain Smith’s Cabin — Drive 14 miles out into Escalante Canyon after a afternoon show to inspect another eccentric local build made of stone and sheer determination.
- Pioneer Town Museum — Take a 15-minute trip up to Cedaredge before showtime to wander 24 restored frontier buildings and round out your regional history dive.
Good to know
What is the history behind Bank Night at the Egyptian Theatre?
Bank Night was a cash-drawing promotional gimmick conceived by a local theater manager and first tested at the Egyptian on March 2, 1933. It became a Depression-era phenomenon licensed by thousands of theaters across North America.
How many movies does the theatre show at once?
It is a single-screen house run by a nonprofit organization, showing one film run at a time. Be sure to check deltaegyptian.org for current titles and showtimes.
Is there parking available nearby?
Yes, there is free angle parking available directly along Main Street in front of the theater.
How far is the theater from Grand Junction?
The theater is located in downtown Delta, roughly 45 minutes south of Grand Junction along the US-50 corridor.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Wikipedia · cinematreasures.org · coloradoencyclopedia.org · Official site · coloradogives.org · kekbfm.com
last checked: 2026-06-11