From Cinema Treasures
The Garden Theatre was built on the site of the old Garden Theatre (nee Bijou Theatre) and operated by Butterfield Theaters. It was opened on October 5, 1939 with Penny Singleton in “Blondie Takes a Vacation”. It closed in 1957 because of the rise of television and the popularity of drive-in theatres.
It was demolished around 1966 to make room for Flint’s tallest building, Genesee Towers. The architect of the Garden Theatre was C. Howard Crane and the design was similar to that of the Gladmer Theatre in Lansing, which was also built in 1939.