Originally opened in 1928 by J.R. Qualls as the Grand Theatre, the theater’s first show was “Three Weekends” starring actress, Clara Bow. Admission at the time was 10 and 35 cents! One year later, Qualls changes the name of the theater to The Paramount. Though the theater thrived during the Depression and World War II, the 1960s and 70s brought hard times for the theater. The Paramount Theater was scheduled to be demolished but managed to survive. The Gallery Players stepped up to try and make The Paramount stage a permanent home of community theater for Burlington. In 1993, the City of Burlington and the Alamance County Arts Council took on the task of renovating the space. The Paramount Theater has a supportive network of patrons from Alamance County and beyond.
