Garden Theater Block facts for kids
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Garden Theater Block
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U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
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 Location in Massachusetts
Location in the United States
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| Location | 353-367 Main St., Greenfield, Massachusetts |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1928 |
| Built by | George H. Reed |
| Architect | Mowll & Rand |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival |
| Part of | Main Street Historic District (ID88001908) |
| NRHP reference No. | 83000591 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | September 1, 1983 |
| Designated CP | October 13, 1988 |
The Garden Theater Block is a historic building in Greenfield, Massachusetts. It was built in 1929 and is home to the city's biggest movie theater. This theater is special because it was designed to look like an outdoor garden inside! It has cool artwork and special lights that make you feel like you're under the stars. The building is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places, which means it's an important historical site. Today, it's known as the Greenfield Garden Cinemas.
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About the Garden Theater Block
The Garden Theater Block is located on Main Street in downtown Greenfield. It's a strong building made with a steel frame. The front part has two stories and is decorated in a style called Colonial Revival. This means it looks like older American buildings from the colonial times.
The front of the building has seven main parts. The outer parts are shops with big display windows. The middle part is the theater entrance. It has a large sign, called a marquee, that sticks out over the sidewalk.
What Makes the Theater Special?
Inside, the theater is very fancy. It has special carpets and paintings that look like gardens. A famous artist named Frederick Marshall painted murals of New England scenes on the walls.
The ceiling is designed to look like the night sky. It has lights that twinkle like stars! There's even a machine that makes clouds move across the ceiling. This makes you feel like you are watching a movie outdoors, even when you are inside.
A Look Back in Time
The Garden Theater was built in 1928-1929. It was designed by architects Mowll & Rand from Boston. A family named Goldman, who owned many theaters, built it. At the time, it was the third and largest theater in Greenfield.
The theater was made for both movies and live shows. However, it mostly showed movies. The Goldman family ran the theater for 70 years. It closed in 1999 for a short time.
Later, the theater was changed. It was divided into seven smaller movie theaters. The beautiful murals were covered up. In 2008, new owners took over. They have plans to make the theater even better.
See also
