Palace Theatre (Albany, New York) facts for kids
Marquee of the venue (c.2018)
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| Address | 19 Clinton Ave Albany, New York 12207-2211 |
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| Owner | City of Albany |
| Operator | Palace Performing Arts Center, Inc. |
| Capacity | 2,844 |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | June 1930 |
| Opened | October 23, 1931 |
| Renovated |
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Palace Theatre
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| Built | 1931 |
| Architect | John Eberson |
| Architectural style | Art Deco |
| NRHP reference No. | 79003235 |
| Added to NRHP | October 4, 1979 |
The Palace Theatre is a cool place for shows and events in downtown Albany, New York. It's located right on the corner of Clinton Avenue and North Pearl Street. A group called the Palace Performing Arts Center, Inc. runs the theatre. This group is a non-profit, which means they use any money they make to help the theatre and the community, not to make a profit for owners. They started in 1984 to make the theatre a great place for culture and fun in Albany.
The Palace Theatre hosts over 150 events every year. You can see all kinds of live shows there. This includes concerts, amazing ballet and dance performances, Broadway plays, and funny live comedy acts. They also show classic movies and host educational programs. Besides public shows, the theatre is used for private events. These include weddings, dance competitions, company meetings, and even graduations. The Albany Symphony Orchestra, which has won a Grammy Award, calls the Palace Theatre home. Many famous artists have performed here. Some of these include the Rolling Stones, Jerry Seinfeld, Bruce Springsteen, and Tony Bennett.
A famous architect named John Eberson designed the theatre. He was known for making "atmospheric theatres." These theatres made you feel like you were in a different place, like an outdoor courtyard. The Palace Theatre has a beautiful Austrian Baroque design. Even though it has changed over the years, it still has many of its original features. You can see a huge brass chandelier in the main lobby. There are also original paintings by Hungarian artists Andrew Karoly and Louis Szanto. The theatre was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. This means it's an important historic building.
History of the Palace Theatre
The Palace Theatre was first built to be a huge movie palace for RKO. Construction started in June 1930 and finished in October 1931. When it opened, it was the biggest movie theatre in Albany.
In 1940, the Palace was sold to FAST Theatres. This happened because RKO had to stop owning movie theatres due to some legal rules. In 1960, the theatre got a big upgrade that cost $250,000. They made the seats more comfortable, which meant there were fewer seats overall. The Palace closed in September 1969 because it wasn't making enough money. Soon after, the City of Albany bought the building for $90,000 and reopened it. In the first few years of the city owning it, they put in a new heating system and a new roof. The theatre was added to the National Register of Historic Places on October 4, 1979.
A major restoration project began in 2002. It cost $3 million and finished in January 2003. This project made the inside of the theatre look much more like its original design from 1931. They also added a new LED sign outside that looks like the old one.
Inside the Palace Theatre
The theatre is a brick and stone building with a steel frame. It has two main parts. The front part faces the street corner. It has a large sign called a marquee with a modern scrolling LED display. This part is made of tan brick with some stone decorations.
The inside of the theatre is designed in the Austrian Baroque style. This means it's very fancy and decorative. In the foyer, which is between the lobby and the main entrance, there are red marble staircases. These stairs are decorated with fancy scrollwork and designs. There are also beautiful paintings on the walls by two Hungarian artists.
The balcony level hangs over a large part of the main floor. The ceilings and walls are very decorated. They have statues and arches around the boxes where people can sit. A large crystal chandelier from the Czech Republic hangs from the ceiling. The orchestra pit, where musicians play, can be moved up and down with an elevator.
See also
- Albany Symphony Orchestra
- David Alan Miller
