Palace Theatre (Marion, Ohio) facts for kids
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Palace Theatre
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Marion Palace Theatre, Marion, Ohio
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| Address | 233 West Center Street Marion, Ohio United States |
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| Owner | Palace Cultural Arts Association |
| Type | Movie Palace atmospheric theatre |
| Capacity | 1,440 |
| Current use | Movie theatre and performing arts center |
| Construction | |
| Opened | August 30, 1928 |
| Rebuilt | 1975–1976; 2015 |
| Architect | John Eberson |
| Website | |
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Marion Palace Theatre
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 Location in Ohio
Location in the United States
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| Built | 1928 |
| Architectural style | Late 19th and 20th century Spanish Revival, atmospheric theatre |
| NRHP reference No. | 76001486 |
| Added to NRHP | March 26, 1976 |
The Marion Palace Theatre is a cool old movie palace built in 1928. It's located in Marion, Ohio, in the United States. It cost about $500,000 to build back then, which would be like $7.5 million today!
This theatre is special because it's listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It's a great example of an "atmospheric theatre" style, which was very popular in the 1920s. These theatres were designed to make you feel like you were outdoors under the stars.
The Palace Theatre opened on August 30, 1928. It was one of the last atmospheric theatres built in the U.S. Besides showing movies and newsreels (short films about current events), it also hosted live shows like vaudeville (a mix of acts like comedy, music, and dance).
The theatre is on West Center Street and Campbell Street. The land slopes, so the stage is lower on one side. In 1975, a group called the Palace Cultural Arts Association bought the theatre. They are a nonprofit group, meaning they use money to help the theatre, not to make a profit. They fixed it up, and it's still open today! It's used for both movies and live performances. The Marion Palace is one of only 16 atmospheric theatres designed by John Eberson that are still open.
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Amazing Architecture
The Marion Palace was designed by John Eberson, a famous architect. He wanted it to look like "A Spanish Castle" or "A Palace in Old Spain." Eberson loved to mix different styles to create a special feeling. The theatre looks like a Spanish Colonial Revival architecture building. This style was popular in the 1920s.
You can see this style in the theatre's arches, fancy roof tiles, and balconies. Inside, it feels like you're in a Spanish courtyard. From the balcony, you see a Spanish town wall. The ceiling looks like a blue sky with twinkling stars! These stars are actually tiny holes in the plaster. A special projector even makes clouds float across the ceiling, making it feel even more like you're outside.
Grand Opening Night
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The Marion Palace Theatre had its first show on August 30, 1928. It was a huge event with two packed performances! Colonel George B. Christian gave a speech. He talked about the history of theatres in Marion and how beautiful the new building was. John Eberson, the architect, also spoke. He even gave the owner a bag of birdseed as a joke, because he had put stuffed pigeons in the theatre to make it feel more like outdoors!
The entertainment started with organ music by Banks Kennedy. He played a new song he wrote just for the Palace. Then, the Palace Orchestra played. After that, there were four vaudeville acts. These included a mental wizard, a comedy team, and other performers.
Finally, a silent movie called Excess Baggage (1928 film) was shown. It starred William Haines and Josephine Dunn. The theatre was ready for "talkie" movies (with sound), but the equipment didn't arrive until the next year.
People loved the theatre right away. The local newspaper, The Marion Star, described it as a "moon-lit Spanish hill" with "myriads of stars twinkling in an azure blue sky." They said the view from the balcony was amazing, with no pillars blocking the stage.
Cool Statues by Pietro Caproni
To make the courtyard feeling even stronger, the Palace has beautiful plaster statues. Most of these were made by Pietro Caproni and his company. Caproni made plaster copies of famous Greek and Roman statues. He believed that good copies could be true art.
You can see statues like the Praying Boy and the Capitoline Antinous at the Palace. There's even a statue of George Washington in a balcony spot! These statues help make the theatre feel like a real Spanish courtyard.
The Theatre Organ
When the Palace first opened, it had a special Page Rainbo Gold organ. It was made by the Page Organ Company in Lima, Ohio. Banks Kennedy, a famous organist, played it. The Marion Star newspaper said the organ was custom-made for the theatre. Its pipes were hidden on each side of the stage, looking like windows in Spanish towers.
The organ's keyboard, called the console, was the only part you could see. It sat on a platform that could move up and down! This meant the organist could be seen by everyone or lowered out of the way.
In 1976, the original organ was replaced. A new 3/10 Mighty Wurlitzer Theatre Pipe Organ was installed. This Wurlitzer organ had been in another theatre in Indiana before moving to the Marion Palace.
Restoring the Palace
The theatre was fully restored in 1975–1976. This happened after the Palace Cultural Arts Association, a local nonprofit group, took over. John Eberson's son, Drew Eberson, even helped guide the restoration!
During this time, the theatre seats were fixed up. Some were removed to make space for people using wheelchairs. Now, the theatre has 1,420 seats. When it first opened, there were also shops and offices on the lower floors. These areas were changed into a concession stand, box office, and theatre offices.
Since 1976, the building has continued to get improvements. In 2015, the front of the building and its signs were repaired. They fixed bricks and other parts that had been damaged by water.
Theatre Archives
The Palace Cultural Arts Association keeps a small collection of old items and photos from the theatre. The Marion County Historical Society also has photos and theatre items. The Theatre Historical Society of America has even more pictures of the Palace.
Hiroshi Sugimoto's Photos
The Palace Theatre is one of the movie palaces photographed by Hiroshi Sugimoto. He is a famous Japanese photographer. In 1978, for his "Theatres" series, he took pictures of old American movie palaces. He would open his camera shutter for the entire length of the movie! The only light came from the film projector. This created unique, bright images of the empty theatres.
The Singin' Cowboy Premiere
A musical called The Singin' Cowboy had its very first show at the Palace Theatre. This happened in August 2011. It was directed by Tina Salamone, who used to be the theatre's executive director. The show ran for six performances.
What's Happening Now
The theatre is owned by a nonprofit group. A board of directors, chosen by the members, runs it. The theatre hosts a season of touring artists and special educational shows for schoolchildren. When there aren't big shows, local groups and high schools use the theatre. It also still shows movies and can be rented for events.
