[2] Highland Theatre was designed by Lewis Arthur Smith,[2] an architect known for many theaters throughout southern California, most notably the Vista, El Portal, Rialto, and Ventura.

[3] Highland Theatre was built in 1924, sat 1450, and opened with a screening of Lady of the Night on March 2, 1925.

In 1975, the theater was bought by the Akarakian family, who brought back mainstream programming and added children's and Spanish language films as well.

[6] Cyrus Etemad, owner of the nearby Highland Park Bowl, bought the building in 2022,[7] and the theater closed on February 29, 2024, after failing to bounce back post pandemic.

The interior features murals, frescoes, metalwork, moldings, and a vintage balcony, much of which were covered when the theater was made into a triplex in the 1980s.