The final movie shown in the theater during its initial commercial incarnation was the Peter Jackson epic "The Fellowship of the Ring." Failed sewer lines necessitating a costly remodel and lack of profitability of the giant 800 seat movie palace in an era of multiplex theaters were cited as reasons for the closure by the national theater chain. Regal chose not to gut the facility at the time of the theater's shuttering, thereby making future restoration feasible. In 2006 Corvallis residents organized to raise public support and funds for restoration of the Whiteside Theatre. Over the next ten years many tens of thousands of dollars were raised and restoration has taken place; classic films are frequently shown and public events are once again being held on stage at the facility. Restoration work continues. The theater was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in February 2009.