The Wayside Theater was located at 3020 Washtenaw Ave. It opened in 1968 and closed in 1989.

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Opened for the Butterfield Theatres chain in 1968, the Wayside was designed by Louis Wiltse and could seat just over 1000. The Wayside's most famous feature was its enormous screen, measuring 56' by 24', at the time the largest indoor screen in the US.

A year later, plans were announced to convert the twin into a brew-n-view style venue, called the Wayside Cinema & Drafthouse, but this fell through. In late 1991, the theater was gutted and reopened as the Wayside Whirly Ball amusement center.