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Lobo Theater

Route 66 site
In Albuquerque, New Mexico
On Route 66

The Lobo Theater in Albuquerque, NM, is a movie house that opened on Route 66 in 1938, right next to the University of New Mexico. Its name, Spanish for wolf, borrows the nickname of the university's teams and students. For decades it showed independent, classic and cult films. After closing in 2000 and being leased to a church, it reopened in late 2021 as a lounge and event venue.

What is Lobo Theater?

The Lobo stands on Central Avenue NE, the old Route 66, with the UNM campus nearly next door to the west. Today it works as a movie theater, a concert hall and an event space, under the name Lobo Lounge and Events Center.

The name is no accident. Lobo means wolf in Spanish, and it is what UNM calls its sports teams and its students. The theater leaned into that link for years, courting the campus crowd.

History of Lobo Theater

Opening night was August 19, 1938. In the early 1940s Paramount Pictures ran the house through its subsidiary Hoblitzelle & O'Donnell, and by 1964 Frontier Theatres had taken over. Commonwealth Theaters and Creative Entertainment later ran it too. Over the years it became the place in town for cult, classic and independent films, and local bands played there as well.

The theater shut down on August 4, 2000, and a church later leased the building. It also served as the main setting for Collecting Rooftops, a 2002 independent film made by directors Rob Kellar and Billy Garberina. In late 2021 it came back to life as a lounge and event space.

Visiting Lobo Theater: tips

The building sits right on the old road, and there is parking on site. Restrooms are on site and the venue is wheelchair accessible. Check the event calendar before you go if you want to see the inside; otherwise the front makes a quick photo stop. The Modern Auto Court and the UNM Art Museum are each about 0.5 miles away, and the University of New Mexico Arboretum about 0.7 miles.

Practical info

Address: 3013 Central Avenue NE, Albuquerque, NM 87106
Phone: +1 505-265-4759
Website: loboabq.com
Hours: Daily 4 pm–10 pm
On site & nearby

Sources: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) · Wikidata · official site — may be outdated. Suggest a fix

Where to eat near Lobo Theater

All diners →

Diner & restaurant
Frontier Restaurant
Albuquerque, NM · 0.4 mi from Lobo Theater
A big New Mexican restaurant near UNM on Central Avenue, hung with portraits of John Wayne.
Diner & restaurant
El Modelo
Albuquerque, NM · 2.4 mi from Lobo Theater
A Barelas restaurant in Albuquerque that began in 1929 as the El Modelo Tortilla Factory.
Diner & restaurant
Mac's La Sierra
Albuquerque, NM · 5.4 mi from Lobo Theater
A New Mexican restaurant on Albuquerque's West Central Avenue, the city's Route 66, dating from 1952.

On the map

Full map

Lobo Theater with the 6 closest stops and places to eat (fork and knife). Tap a marker for details.

Tap a dot to see that stop here.

Stops near Lobo Theater

All of New Mexico

Modern Auto Court

Albuquerque, New Mexico · on Route 66

A 1937 tourist court on Central Avenue, now the Nob Hill Motel, and a rare pre-war survivor in New Mexico.

Retro roadsidePhoto credit

0.5 mi from Lobo Theater

University of New Mexico Art Museum

Albuquerque, New Mexico · 0.1 mi from Route 66

A free campus museum in Albuquerque with nearly 30,000 works, the largest fine art holding in New Mexico.

MuseumPhoto credit

0.5 mi from Lobo Theater

Pig & Calf Lunch

Albuquerque, New Mexico · on Route 66

A mid-1930s Moderne lunch stand in Albuquerque, listed on the National Register in 1994.

Historic buildingPhoto credit

0.6 mi from Lobo Theater

University of New Mexico Arboretum

Albuquerque, New Mexico · 0.2 mi from Route 66

The whole UNM campus doubles as an accredited arboretum, with some 235 kinds of trees and shrubs.

Nature & parksPhoto credit

0.7 mi from Lobo Theater

Maxwell Museum of Anthropology

Albuquerque, New Mexico · 0.2 mi from Route 66

Albuquerque's first public museum, an anthropology collection on the UNM campus near Central Avenue.

MuseumPhoto credit

0.8 mi from Lobo Theater

De Anza Motor Lodge

Albuquerque, New Mexico · 0.1 mi from Route 66

A 1939 Nob Hill motor lodge, now mostly gone, whose neon sign and Zuni murals live on in a new complex.

Retro roadsidePhoto credit

0.9 mi from Lobo Theater

Questions about Lobo Theater

Is the Lobo Theater still open?

Yes. After closing in 2000, it came back in late 2021 under the name Lobo Lounge and Events Center, used for films, concerts and events.

Why is it called the Lobo?

Lobo is Spanish for wolf, the nickname of the University of New Mexico's teams and students. The campus is almost next door.

When did the Lobo Theater open?

On August 19, 1938.

Own or run Lobo Theater? Send us a photo or a correction.

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