Historic Theatre Photography

This website celebrates and promotes historic and culturally significant theatres from across the world.

Our intent is to document these buildings of public storytelling and performance primarily through photography, capturing significant details from both sides of the curtain.

Our aim is to educate and engage current and future generations on the importance of theatre and the arts, and the importance of preserving the significant buildings our society has created for the purpose of public storytelling. To this end, our scope includes movie theatres of significant cultural or historic merit.

We are always on the lookout for additional historic or culturally significant theatres to feature on our website and social media channels. Please get in touch for collaborations or photoshoots.

You may also wish to check out more about the story behind Historic Theatre Photos and its author Mike Hume, or Mike’s extensive theatre research projects.

Don’t forget to check us out on social media:

Featured Theatre Photos

Theatre Tours

Click here for details of how you can tour the theatres featured on our website.

Theatre Timeline

Click here for an interactive timeline of all theatres featured on our website.

Upcoming Special Events

Click here to check out special events happening at theatres featured on our website.

News & Recent Updates

Click here for news on all the latest updates and additions to our website.

Award & Event Shows

Click here for Award & Event Shows held at theatres featured on our website.

Theatre Architects

Click here for information on the architects behind the theatres featured on our website.

Our Services

Click here to see the services we offer such as public speaking, tours, and consultation.

Atmospheric Theatres

Click here to read about Mike’s passion project: Atmospheric Theatres.

Theatre Research

Click here to read more about Mike’s research on historic and culturally-significant theatres.

UK Theatre Showreel

Click here to watch our UK Theatre showreel (opens YouTube in a new window).

Under Construction...

Click here for a sneak peek at the theatres we’re working on adding to our website.

American Southwest

For our purposes the Southwest is defined as the states of Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, and Colorado. The majority of the largest population centers (Phoenix & Tucson in Arizona, Albuquerque NM, Salt Lake City UT, and Denver CO) have retained at least some of their historic theatres, although some have not – such as Las Vegas.

California (outside Los Angeles and San Francisco)

California has a wide range of theatres ranging from the last remaining theatre built for the Orpheum vaudeville circuit, to modern-day performing arts centers rivaling the Lincoln Center in New York. Outside of Los Angeles, California boasts a large number of historic theatres and movies theatres.

Chicago

Chicago is home to many historic theatres and boasts a thriving “Broadway in Chicago” production company, formed by the Nederlander Organization in 2000, which programs touring Broadway productions in the city. Until recently, Chicago was home to the only resident production of “Hamilton” in the US outside of New York, which ran from October 2016 to early 2020.

Los Angeles: Downtown

Downtown Los Angeles was the site of LA’s first two theatre districts, the first being on Main St and the second on Broadway, the second being said to pre-date New York’s Broadway theatre district. With 12 movie theatres along a six-block stretch, LA’s Broadway is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the largest remaining concentration of movie theatres in the United States.

Los Angeles: Hollywood

The Hollywood theatre district of Los Angeles came about as a result of booming development in the area during the 1910s and 1920s. Grauman’s Egyptian Theatre was the site of the first Hollywood movie premiere and was soon followed by Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, currently home to the largest number of movie premieres in the world.

Los Angeles: Greater Metropolitan Area

Outside of the historic Broadway and Hollywood theatre districts, the Los Angeles metropolitan area and adjoining counties have an abundance of theatres, and more than their fair share of neighborhood single-screen movie theatres.

New York

New York’s Broadway theatre district, nicknamed the “Great White Way”, has been entertaining audiences since the early 1900s. There are currently 41 “official” Broadway theatres alongside countless others ranging from small off-Broadway houses, the Lincoln Center, and large spaces such as Carnegie Hall and Radio City Music Hall.

Ohio

Ohio is located in the Midwestern region of the United States, its capital being Columbus. Although there are a number of historic theatres in Columbus, Ohio is also home to Playhouse Square in the northeastern Ohio city of Cleveland, which is the largest performing arts center in the US outside of New York City.

San Francisco Bay Area

The San Francisco Bay Area, often referred to in the United States as simply the Bay Area, is home to a great many theatres ranging from numerous single-screen neighborhood movie theatres to opera houses and grand movie palaces.

Texas

Texas is the second-largest US state by both area and population. It boasts the fourth largest city in the US (Houston) and the second most populous state capital (Austin). Accordingly, Texas has numerous theatres ranging from grand opera houses through mid-size theatres and small community playhouses.

United Kingdom: London

London is home to the famous West End theatre district, the largest concentration of theatres in the world, and is on a par with New York’s Broadway for its diverse range and high quality of productions.

United Kingdom: outside London

The UK is home to hundreds of historic theatres including the oldest continually operating theatre in the English-speaking world. Music Halls and Cinemas of particular interest/merit are also included. London theatres are covered in a separate category.

Washington DC

Washington DC, the political and administrative center of the United States, boasts multiple historic theatres, including the second oldest continually operating theatre in the country. In more contemporary terms, DC is home to the world-renowned Kennedy Center.

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