But more than a century later, it is still standing, a historic single screen palace still doing what it was meant to do, bringing people together in the dark to experience movies as they were intended.
However, James Cameron has opted to remain loyal to this projection method by guaranteeing that " Avatar: The Way of Water" will be released in this format too.
Last time they ran the event, there was a film about painting, which went down very well with the children, and they're now working on one about sculpture.
So as you unbuckle your belt and settle in for the afternoon showing of The Wizard of Oz, appreciate the history of this unique holiday and all the fixins that go along with it.
A continuing problem at the time was the film had a tendency to break when they were being played - a problem which was caused by the tension between the two wheels, or 'reels' as they are called, which hold the film.