Fox Theatre
The largest surviving 1920s movie palace, a lavish exotic-revival hall on Woodward Avenue.
The Fox opened in September 1928 as the flagship of William Fox's cinema circuit, designed by the Detroit architect C. Howard Crane. Its interiors are an exotic revival fantasy, mixing Burmese, Indian, Persian and Chinese motifs with Art Deco detail: a six-storey grand lobby modelled on a temple court, gilded columns, a vast stained-glass ceiling panel and a two-tonne chandelier. With 5,048 seats it is the largest surviving American movie palace of the 1920s and the biggest of the original Fox theatres.
After decades of decline the building was bought in 1987 by Mike and Marian Ilitch, whose restoration returned the decorative scheme and the Wurlitzer organ to working order; the theatre reopened in November 1988 with the Count Basie Orchestra. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1989. Owned by Olympia Entertainment and programmed by 313 Presents, it now hosts touring musicals, concerts, comedy and family shows, and anchors Detroit's theatre district alongside the neighbouring Fillmore and Music Hall.
Highlights
- Largest surviving American movie palace of the 1920s, seating over 5,000
- Six-storey grand lobby modelled on a temple court, with gilded columns
- Exotic revival decoration blending Burmese, Indian, Persian and Chinese motifs
- Restored in 1988; National Historic Landmark since 1989
