Located in Sacramento’s Oak Park Historic District, the theater is currently owned and managed by St. HOPE, a non-profit community development organization that revitalizes urban neighborhoods through economic investment and public education.

After sitting vacant for many years, the Guild Theater was fully restored by the St. HOPE in 2003.

Built circa 1915, the Guild Theater is the only theater still standing from among the early 20th-century movie houses that were once found throughout Sacramento’s Oak Park neighborhood. The theater was designed and funded by Joseph Lewis, and at the time, it was the largest of the three theaters that lined 35th Street. Known initially as the Victor Theater, its Romanesque Revival and Moorish Revival design elements have been preserved, including rounded arches and decorative geometric patterns on the brick exterior.

Originally used for vaudeville shows and for screening silent films, the 200-seat Guild Theater has been updated for audiences in the 21st century with the latest digital technology. The interior also features historic design elements, such as the exposed brick walls. A major restoration of the building was completed in 2003 and updated again in 2020. 

Originally known as the Woodruff Hotel Building, the theater is now part of the 40 Acres Complex.  The Campus like setting has become a cultural gathering place in Sacramento and is home to several small businesses including a black owned bookstore known as Underground Books, Old Soul Coffee Co., The Upper Room Apartments, World Class Faders, and Fixins Soul Kitchen. 

Two decades after the theater’s restoration, St. HOPE Academy continues to provide a multitude of in-house events for the public including, movie screenings, comedy shows, poetry events, theatrical productions and musical concerts.  The Guild Theater which is also available for rentals, hosts more than 200 events each year.