In 2023, the theater was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and acquired by car manufacturer Rivian to be converted into a showroom.

Fred Aufdenkamp was born in 1876 in Hanover, Germany, before immigrating to Nebraska in the 19th century and eventually the Greater Los Angeles region with his family.

[1] In 1915, Aufdenkamp founded the original Lynn Theatre at 255 Forest Avenue in Laguna Beach, the first movie theater in the city.

Theater owner Fred Aufdenkamp later sued the municipal government for its alleged mismanagement of stormwater diversion, seeking $3,700 in damages.

[1] In 1959, the Lynn Ocean Avenue was demolished, leaving the newer South Coast Theatre as the sole Aufdenkamp operation in town.

The operator at the time, Regency Theatres, said that the outdated technology in the venue made screening films expensive and difficult.

[1] The same year, electric vehicle manufacturer Rivian, headquartered in neighboring Irvine, began work on renovating and reopening the theater building as its first car showroom.

[4] The space opened on December 8, 2023, and includes a movie screen at the back of the building with programming selected by the Coast Film Foundation.

[2][6] Los Angeles–based architect James Neil Conway designed the third and final iteration of the theater, a Mediterranean Revival–style building with a distinctive tower and courtyard.