The Norton Theatre was opened in March of 1948 with quite a show lined out. 
They had the Blue Jay Orchestra play and the Mayor of the town spoke at the opening ceremony. They even had a giant search light out front to light the way. 
 

The Theatre has also hosted the Miss Frontier Scholarship Pageant, which is a
preliminary contest to the Miss Kansas pageant in Pratt KS. There have been
numerous events held at the Theatre over the years.
  

 The Theatre was purchased in 1992 by the Norton Theatre Association which was founded by Alberta Byrum-Slaby and Sara Lee Hartley. There were numerous fund-raisers to earn money to begin the restoration that several local people participated in. The Theatre opened in May of 1993 and has been run by volunteer help from Norton and the surrounding communities. Several civic organizations lend their hand as Community Service projects.