Metropolitan Theatre (Winnipeg) facts for kids
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The Met
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Metropolitan Theatre in downtown Winnipeg
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| Former names | Allen Theatre (1919–1923) Metropolitan Theatre (1923–1987) |
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| Address | 281 Donald St. |
| Location | Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada |
| Coordinates | 49°53′35″N 97°8′34″W / 49.89306°N 97.14278°W |
| Owner | Canad Inns |
| Type | Theatre |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 2 January 1920 |
| Renovated | 2012 |
| Architect | C. Howard Crane |
| Official name: Metropolitan Theatre National Historic Site of Canada | |
| Designated: | June 10, 1991 |
| Reference #: | 3110 |
| Municipally Designated Site | |
| Designation | Winnipeg Landmark Heritage Structure |
| Recognized | January 10, 1997 |
| CRHP listing | July 13, 2007 |
| Recognition authority | City of Winnipeg |
| ID | 7725 |
The Metropolitan Entertainment Centre, often called The Met, is a famous theatre in downtown Winnipeg, Manitoba. It was designed by an American architect named C. Howard Crane. You can find it at 281 Donald Street, right across from the Canada Life Centre.
This building was first known as the Allen Theatre. It was named after the Allen brothers, who built many cinemas across Canada. In 1923, a company called Famous Players bought it and changed its name to the Metropolitan Theatre. The Met is one of only four theatres built by the Allen brothers that are still standing today. It's also one of only three Canadian buildings designed by Crane that still exist.
The theatre was updated in 1948. It closed its doors in November 1987. In 1991, it was named a National Historic Site of Canada. Later, in 2006, a company called Canad Inns bought it. They planned to turn it into a rock and roll museum, but those plans changed. By 2011, work began to restore the building to its original look. The newly renovated building opened in November 2012. It now has a restaurant, a lounge, and spaces for special events.
Contents
History of The Met
How The Met Began
In the early 1900s, the Allen family from Brantford, Ontario, was building the biggest chain of cinemas in Canada. The family included brothers Jay J. Allen and Jules Allen, and their father Bernard Allen.
The Met was one of 45 theatres in their chain. It was designed by C. Howard Crane, who designed all the Allen brothers' theatres. This large building, about 24,000 square feet, was built in 1919. It was designed in a style called neoclassical architecture, which looks like ancient Greek and Roman buildings. Crane even opened an office in Windsor, Ontario, because he had so many projects in Canada.
The theatre officially opened on January 2, 1920. The Allens had hoped to open on Christmas Day 1919. However, the theatre organ wasn't ready, and some of the inside decorations were not finished. The very first movie shown there was Upstairs and Down.
In 1923, Famous Players bought the theatre. They renamed it the Metropolitan Theatre. It became a "first-run" theatre, meaning it showed new movies first. In 1948, it was updated again. The ticket booth and entrance were moved. The ceiling was lowered, and the candy counter was made bigger.
The Theatre Closes
The Metropolitan Theatre closed on November 26, 1987. The last movie shown was Date with an Angel, a romantic comedy. In 2006, the City of Winnipeg sold the theatre to Canad Inns for $100,000. Canad Inns wanted to turn the building into a museum about rock and roll. Some important business leaders in the city, like Leonard Asper, were also involved in this idea.
The theatre was named a National Historic Site of Canada in 1991. It is special because it's one of only four theatres built by the Allen brothers that are still around. It's also one of only three Canadian buildings designed by C. Howard Crane that still exist.
Bringing The Met Back to Life
The theatre was empty for 25 years after it closed in 1987. Then, Canad Inns decided to renovate it. They wanted to make it look like the original Allen Theatre again. The renovation started in 2011. Canad Inns provided $17 million for the project. The City of Winnipeg gave $1.5 million as a heritage grant. The government of Manitoba also gave $1.5 million. This provincial grant meant the building had to be available for non-profit groups to use 30 days each year.
The city's grant required the renovations to be finished by 2013. The theatre became a key part of a new entertainment area planned for downtown Winnipeg. Even though the inside had some water damage over the years, it was still in surprisingly good shape. The renovation included building a new section on the south side for a kitchen, bathrooms, and elevators. The sloped floors were replaced with tiered platforms. Important original features like the front, main entrance, mezzanine, and decorative mouldings were kept. Parts that had been damaged or changed in earlier renovations were rebuilt. Other work included removing a fake canopy, fixing the bricks, and installing new windows and lighting.
The building officially reopened to the public on November 30, 2012, with a special event.
Building Design
The Met building is located on the east side of Donald Street. The Allen brothers created this spot by buying smaller properties, including a billiard hall and other shops. It faced the large Eaton's store, which was a huge eight-story building.
The main theatre room, called the auditorium, could hold 2,500 people. It had a beautiful plaster ceiling dome with a large chandelier hanging from it. There were also two matching staircases leading up to a mezzanine level. The outside of the building is made of light-brown bricks with fancy terra cotta designs. Tall, grooved columns called pilasters stand next to the arched windows. Each window has a fan-shaped window above it and a terra cotta decoration that looks like a hanging garland. A brick wall called a parapet tops the roofline, and it has carvings of urns and decorative bands.
The ground floor originally had the theatre's entrance in the middle. On either side were shallow, wide shops with big windows. These shops were later combined. The shop on the north side (285 Donald Street) became a candy store. The shop on the south side (283 Donald Street) had different businesses over time, like a blouse shop, a barber, an optician, and a music store.
What The Met Offers Today
Now called the Metropolitan Entertainment Centre, The Met has a restaurant, a lounge, and spaces for special events. It also has a large screen, about 35 by 26 feet. These spaces are used for concerts, fundraising events, film screenings, and fancy dinners. It has even shown Winnipeg Jets playoff hockey games and hosted the team's NHL Entry Draft parties.
The restaurant usually has between 20 and 30 employees. For big events, this number can go up to 50. The Met also hosts "dinner and movie" nights. These include a buffet dinner, a movie, and popcorn. It also runs a special "supper club."
