Jefferson Theatre Facts for Kids

For other venues, see Jefferson Theater.

Quick facts for kids Significant dates

Jefferson Theater
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. Historic district Contributing property

The theater in 2024
Jefferson Theater Location in Texas Show map of Texas Jefferson Theater Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	345 Fannin St., Beaumont, Texas
Area	0.5 acres (0.20 ha)
Built	1927 (1927)
Architect	Emile Weil, Inc.
Part of	Beaumont Commercial District (ID78002959)
NRHP reference No.	78002962
Added to NRHP	January 30, 1978
Designated CP	April 14, 1978

The Jefferson Theatre is a historic and beautiful performing arts center located in downtown Beaumont, Texas. It was designed by an architect named Emile Weil and built in 1927. The theater looks like an old Spanish building and can seat over 1,400 people!

The Jefferson Amusement Company built this theater. This company was owned by Saenger Amusements. The theater is very special because it's listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It's also recognized as a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark. This means it's an important historical place in Texas. The theater recently got a huge makeover that cost millions of dollars. It's also one of the few theaters in the whole country that still has its original Morton organ. This special organ was made by the Robert Morton Organ Company.

A Look Back: The Theater's History
Cool Shows and Events
Weathering the Storm
Photo gallery
See also

A Look Back: The Theater's History

The Jefferson Theatre first opened its doors on November 14, 1927. It cost almost $1 million to build, which was a lot of money back then! The famous architect Emile Weil designed it. The theater was built for the Jefferson Amusement Company.

Inside, the theater has a special Robert Morton organ. This organ has 3 keyboards and 8 sets of pipes, making amazing music! A very famous movie, "It's A Wonderful Life," had its first showing here in 1946. The movie's star, James Stewart, and its director, Frank Capra, were even there! Sadly, the theater closed in 1972 because fewer people were going to downtown Beaumont.

By 1997, the theater was open again. But in September 2000, it closed for a big restoration and renovation project. This huge project cost $6.5 million and was finished in 2003. As of 2010, the City of Beaumont helps run the theater. A group called the Jefferson Theatre Preservation Society works to keep the theater safe and promote its use.

Cool Shows and Events

Since its big renovation, many famous artists have performed at the Jefferson Theatre. Some of these include Joan Rivers, The Temptations, Lou Rawls, George Carlin, Doobie Brothers, and Lyle Lovett.

The theater also hosts many local shows and events. It's even home to an annual film festival. This means you can watch cool movies there every year!

Weathering the Storm

In September 2005, a big storm called Hurricane Rita hit the area. Because of the hurricane, a comedy show called the Vince Vaughn Wild West Comedy Show had to be canceled. The hurricane also damaged the theater. It had to close for a short time for repairs. Luckily, the theater was able to reopen for business in December 2005, just a few months later.