The Century 21 opened on November 24, 1964, with It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World in 70mm. It was built for Cinerama-type films, its name meant to sound futuristic, and the orange ornament on top of the dome was used by staff to rappel down when its lights needed work. Vincent G. Raney designed it and its neighbors, the Century 22 and 23.
The theaters closed in 2014 when their 50-year lease ended. After a preservation campaign the Century 21 became a city landmark and was placed on the California Register; the dome is being kept and refitted within Santana West.