Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Puglia Italy - Matera
Italy • 8 days, 7 nights
Southern Italy: Castles, Caves & Coastal Treasures in Puglia
from
Turkmenistan Gates of Hell Darvaza crater
Turkmenistan • 10 days, 9 nights
Turkmenistan & the Gates of Hell
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Pinal Airpark
Note the chrysanthemum crests.
Hachiman Bridge
Clarendon War Memorial.
Clarendon War Memorial
This fried chicken is one of Bangkok’s most famous.
Gai Tord Jae Kee
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
This fried chicken is one of Bangkok’s most famous.
Gai Tord Jae Kee
Chefs Aruss Lerlerstkull and Atcharaporn Kiatthanawat lean into regional traditions.
Charmgang
The khao soi at Gedhawa comes with a rich, coconutty broth.
Gedhawa
At Nai Mong Hoi Thod, the oyster omelet is worth waiting for.
Nai Mong Hoi Thod
In this deceptively simple dish, top-quality ingredients are paramount.
Kor Panich
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Haleakalā National Park’s summit region, shrouded in the pre-dawn fog.
Beware the Legends Behind These National Park Souvenirs
3 days ago
For Aguilar-Carrasco, nature is a powerful reminder of the interconnectedness of all life.
How Can National Parks Be Made Accessible to All? AO Wants to Know.
4 days ago
Podcast: Finding ‘The Great Gatsby’ in Louisville
5 days ago
Here’s which treats you can safely lug home without risking a fine.
Dear Atlas: What International Food Can I Legally Bring Into the U.S.?
6 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United Kingdom England Penistone Paramount Cinema
AO Edited

Penistone Paramount Cinema

This century-old, single-screen cinema still puts a 1937 Compton organ to good use.

Penistone, England

Added By
Alan Newman
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
Cinema during roof repairs in 2024   Dr Alan P Newman / Atlas Obscura User
Cinema during roof repairs in 2024   Dr Alan P Newman / Atlas Obscura User
  Dr Alan P Newman / Atlas Obscura User
The stage curtain   Dr Alan P Newman / Atlas Obscura User
The Compton organ console   Dr Alan P Newman / Atlas Obscura User
  Dr Alan P Newman / Atlas Obscura User
  Dr Alan P Newman / Atlas Obscura User
Some of the smaller, higher pitch, organ pipes   Dr Alan P Newman / Atlas Obscura User
Some of the larger organ pipes awaiting re-installation   Dr Alan P Newman / Atlas Obscura User
Base drum controlled by the organ console   Dr Alan P Newman / Atlas Obscura User
Part of the special effects panel   Dr Alan P Newman / Atlas Obscura User
Gaumont 35mm projector   Dr Alan P Newman / Atlas Obscura User
Stone piers in the basement house the sprung floor mechanism   Dr Alan P Newman / Atlas Obscura User
Close up of the spring floor mechanism   Dr Alan P Newman / Atlas Obscura User
The Paramount’s contribution to the Penistone Sheep Trail   Dr Alan P Newman / Atlas Obscura User
The ceiling has its original art deco plasterwork   Dr Alan P Newman / Atlas Obscura User
  David Ward
Auditorium during 2024 Heritage Open Day   Dr Alan P Newman / Atlas Obscura User
Stained glass in the cinema ceiling   Dr Alan P Newman / Atlas Obscura User
Entrance to the Carnegie Library   Dr Alan P Newman / Atlas Obscura User
Stained glass motifs on the Carnegie Library door   Dr Alan P Newman / Atlas Obscura User
Andrew Carnegie’s monogram   Dr Alan P Newman / Atlas Obscura User
The upper circle of the cinema   Dr Alan P Newman / Atlas Obscura User
Some of the original art deco plasterwork   Dr Alan P Newman / Atlas Obscura User
  Dr Alan P Newman / Atlas Obscura User
Posters for a classic movie showing and an event for a cancer charity   Dr Alan P Newman / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

As theaters full of cushy recliner seats, food service, and the IMAX experience slowly become the norm for moviegoers, some fanatics still seek out a more classic, no-frills experience. Along Shrewsbury Road in Penistone, England, an unassuming single-screen theater keeps cinematic nostalgia alive.

While Penistone Paramount Cinema screens both major blockbuster movies and regular historic classics, it also has a program of live events, including recitals on a Compton organ. In 1913, the building was established as a "lecture and recreation" space for one of Britain's many Carnegie Library buildings. The auditorium was equipped to double as a dance hall; complete with a sprung floor, and the ability to remove all the fitted seats before dances. It is now out of use, but the mechanism for the sprung floor can still be seen in the basement.

In 1917, a projection box was installed, establishing the space as a cinema. The theater's Art Deco architecture has survived renovations, with the period plasterwork still complete.

Inside, the star of the show is the Compton organ. The instrument was originally built by the John Compton Organ Co. in 1937. It was first installed in Birmingham’s Paramount Theatre, where it entertained audiences for over 30 years. In 1988, it was bought by a private cinema owner and installed in the Regal Cinema at Oswestry in Shropshire.

After four years at Oswestry, it was brought to the Penistone Paramount Cinema by organist Kevin Grunill. The instrument was restored in 2000 and again in 2013. Most recently, the organ accompanied a brass band concert and provided a musical backdrop for the first-ever silent vampire movie from 1922, Nosferatu.

The cinema's projection box also received an upgrade over the years, but the original Gaumont film projector is still on display inside.

Related Tags

Theaters Organs Film Art Deco Cinema Movies Movie Theater

Know Before You Go

See the cinema's website for show and tour hours. 

Community Contributors

Added By

Dr Alan P Newman

Published

November 4, 2024

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://www.bbc.co.uk/southyorkshire/films/paramount/
  • https://www.bbc.co.uk/southyorkshire/entertainment/film/paramount/organ.shtml
  • http://penistone-compton.co.uk/
  • https://www.barnsley.gov.uk/news/can-you-find-all-the-flock-new-sheep-themed-art-trail-launched-in-penistone/
  • http://studio-standaart.co.uk/list-view/paramount-cinema-penistone
Penistone Paramount Cinema
23 Shrewsbury Rd
Penistone, England, S36 6DY
United Kingdom
53.525546, -1.628141
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Thurgoland Tunnel

Thurgoland, England

miles away

Green Moor Village Stocks

Wortley, England

miles away

Denby Dale Pie Tin

Denby Dale, England

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of England

England

United Kingdom

Places 2,199
Stories 144

Nearby Places

Thurgoland Tunnel

Thurgoland, England

miles away

Green Moor Village Stocks

Wortley, England

miles away

Denby Dale Pie Tin

Denby Dale, England

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of England

England

United Kingdom

Places 2,199
Stories 144

Related Places

  • The Motomiya Movie Theater, built in 1914.

    Motomiya, Japan

    Motomiya Movie Theater

    A disused, crumbling 110-year-old theater retains the authentic retro charms of Showa-era cinema.

  • London, England

    Umit & Son

    A vintage media store and safe haven for cinema buffs who love 16mm films shown on vintage projectors.

  • It’s no Hollywood sign.

    Brooklyn, New York

    Vitagraph Smokestack

    The remnants of what was once the largest film studio on the East Coast are hiding in plain sight.

  • Royal Theater, screening classic Showa cinema.

    Gifu, Japan

    Royal Theater

    Retro as can be, this cinema still uses film reels and screens revivals of Shōwa-era hits and classics.

  • Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

    BookXcess RexKL

    Kuala Lumpur’s historic single-screen cinema, transformed into a labyrinthine bookstore.

  • New Port Richey, Florida

    Richey Suncoast Theatre

    This historic silent film-era theater is now a community playhouse with a chilling visitor.

  • Hyde Park Picture House

    Leeds, England

    Hyde Park Picture House

    The last gas-lit cinema in the United Kingdom, and perhaps the world.

  • The Art Deco neon sign of the Sag Harbor Cinema at dusk.

    Sag Harbor, New York

    Sag Harbor Cinema

    This century-old independent movie theater with an iconic Art Deco neon sign survived a devastating fire in 2016.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.