Fox California Theater

HISTORY

The Fox California Bob Hope Theater was built in 1930 on the site of the old T&D Photo Play. The Fox was constructed in only 9 months time and cost $.5 million. When it opened in 1930 a crowd of 20,000 people showed up. The original seating capacity was for 2,250 people. So, by planning ahead, officials had stages in front of the theater with comedians and jugglers, so that way the crowd could go in in shifts and visit the beautiful new theater. With its carved ceiling beams, gold leaf proscenium arches covered in gold, the theater is definitely one of the most beautiful interiors in all of Stockton. There are thousands of gargoyle faces throughout the theater; the faces were traditionally crafted by individual artisans as the craftsman’s signature. The floor mosaic is made up of 80,000 Italian marble pieces and evokes Neptune god of seas. The floor mosaic replaces a beautiful fountain that was removed in 1950. The chandelier was taken apart and refurbished and put back into place. It was renovated in 2004 to historical accuracy at a cost of $8.5 mill. Today, the Fox California Bob Hope Theater is the most requested site for historical walking tours.