Michigan Theater

The Michigan Theater is the name of two movie theaters and concert halls in the U.S. state of Michigan. There are also three theaters named Michigan Theatre, in Flint (demolished), Jackson (being renovated), and Lansing (closed).

Detroit

The Michigan Theater in Detroit, Michigan was built in August 1926 by Detroit philanthropist and movie theater owner John H. Kunsky . With a seating capacity of 4000, the concert hall/movie house was one of the largest in Michigan. Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, the theater changed ownership several times. It was subsequently used for various events: in the 1960s a closed-circut television provided views of Red Wings ice hockey games for those who could not attend the actual event in nearby Joe Louis Arena, and in the 1970s the theater was a nightclub and concert venue for rock bands.

After this period of closures and re-openings, the Michigan Theater was permanently closed and partially demolished in 1976. Due to problems with the structural integrity of nearby buildings and the availability of office space in the floors above the theater itself, the main hall and lobby were gutted and converted into a parking structure. Cars, Detroit's primary industrial product, now fill the once-bustling theater, and the derelict remains have, for many historians, become a symbol of the decline of Detroit. Ironically, the Michigan Theater is built on the site of the small garage where Henry Ford built his first automobile (the garage was transported brick-by-brick to The Henry Ford Museum in nearby Dearborn).

Ann Arbor

The Michigan Theater in Ann Arbor, Michigan was built in January 1928. Designed by Detroit-based architect Maurice Finkel , the theater seats 1700 and includes a massive organ, orchestra pit, and elaborate architectual details. During a renovation in 1956, much of the original ornate designs were destroyed. After a period of low attendence, the theater was threatened with demolition in 1978 but members of the community and local organists helped raise funds to save and renovate the historic theater to its original grandeur. A second theater with a state-of-the-art sound system and the ability to project films digitally was added in 1999. The Michigan Theater is the current home of the annual Ann Arbor Film Festival.

Michigan Theater

Detroit

Ann Arbor

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