Majestic Theater in Ventura makes unusual discovery during remodel
VENTURA, Calif. -- The Majestic Ventura Theater was forced to close its doors during the pandemic, like so many other venues. Management decided to use the year-long shutdown time to remodel. During the work, crews made a valuable discovery. It is something that was lost more than 40 years ago.
It was a trip down memory lane that Colleen Distin didn’t see coming. A wallet she had lost 46 years ago was found at the Majestic Ventura earlier this week.
The historic theater has been an iconic venue since the 1920s, but the pandemic forced the doors to close for over a year. Management decided to use this time to remodel and that is how the discovery came about.
“The other day one of our employees was changing out some light bulbs and the chandelier dropped a couple of inches, and we had to fix it,” said Tom Stevens, who has worked at the Majestic Ventura Theater for five years.
Stevens had to climb in the attic through a small cement pathway and made the unusual discovery.
“I saw a little red wallet,” said Stevens.
They posted the drivers license on their Facebook page and it attracted a lot of attention. Eventually it made its way to the owner of the wallet. The owner was long time Ventura resident Collen Distin.
“It is really wonderful, it really is,” said Distin. “I am kind of emotional.”
Inside the wallet was photos of friends from high school, poetry, a Grateful Dead concert ticket and something she wasn’t expecting.
“Pictures of my mom which was really sweet because she passed away a couple of years ago,” said Distin. “Holy crap. It is hard to explain the feeling that I had because it is kind of an emotional one and excitement.”
How the wallet got inside of a theaters attic will remain a mystery, but the memories inside the wallet will be forever treasured.
“It’s amazing,” said Stevens. “I am so glad she found it, to see all those memories from that long ago.”
“I just really want to say thank you,” said Distin. “The kindness just to reach out to me.”
