Famous Harkins Camelview 5 ‘mushrooms’ to be restored, relocated

PHOENIX — Valley residents can take comfort knowing that the famous Harkins Theatres “mushrooms” will be preserved and restored although the landmark Camelview 5 theater closed last December.

According to the Phoenix Business Journal, the local theater’s signature mushrooms will be removed from their original location off of Goldwater Boulevard on Wednesday and taken to a holding facility, where they will be restored.

The historic mushrooms will eventually be relocated to the Harkins headquarters, located near McDonald Drive and Scottsdale Road.

Originally, the owner, Dan Harkins wanted to move the iconic figures to the new Camelview location above Dick’s Sporting Goods at Scottsdale Fashion Square. However, the figures weigh over two tons, which wouldn’t mix well with a second-story view.

In honor of the mushrooms, three similar sculptures will be placed in the lobby of the new location.

Camelback 5 theater and its mushroom sculptures had been part of the Valley landscape since 1973. The theater showed more than 2,500 films in the 40 years it was open.

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