State Theatre (Ann Arbor, Michigan) facts for kids
The State Theatre's distinctive marquee, with the names of upcoming Midnight Movie selections.
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| Location | 233 South State Street Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States |
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| Owner | Michigan Theater Foundation (theaters) State Theater LLC (retail space) |
| Operator | Michigan Theater Foundation |
| Construction | |
| Opened | March 18, 1942 |
| Renovated | 1979; 2017 |
The State Theatre is a cool old movie theater in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It was designed in the Art Deco style, which is a fancy and modern look from the 1920s and 30s.
This theater was built by a company called W. S. Butterfield Theatres. They also ran the Michigan Theater nearby. Today, a non-profit group called the Michigan Theater Foundation runs the State Theatre. They have been in charge since 1999.
The State Theatre now has four screens, all located where the old balcony used to be. The main floor of the original theater was changed into a store in 1989. It used to be an Urban Outfitters, and now it's a small Target store. The theater's bright green, yellow, and red sign, called a marquee, makes it a famous landmark in downtown Ann Arbor.
Contents
The State Theatre's Story
How the State Theatre Began
Before the State Theatre, W.S. Butterfield Theatres had five movie theaters in Ann Arbor in 1940. One of them was the Majestic Theater. Butterfield wanted to fix up the Majestic, but the city wouldn't let them. So, they decided to build a brand new theater instead: the State Theatre.
The people who worked at the Majestic Theater moved to the new State Theatre. Butterfield thought of the State as the Majestic's replacement. The old Majestic building was later torn down in 1948.
Designing and Building the Theater
In September 1940, Butterfield Theatres hinted that they would build a new theater. Soon after, they shared plans for the State Theatre. It was designed in the Art Deco style by C. Howard Crane, a famous architect from Detroit who designed many movie palaces.
The State Theatre was built just for showing movies. It had a small stage but no dressing rooms. The Michigan Theater nearby was still used for live shows. Both theaters showed the newest movies.
The State Theatre opened with a big celebration on March 18, 1942. The first movie shown was The Fleet's In. Butterfield Theatres told everyone that construction started before the United States joined World War II. This meant no building materials were taken away from the war effort. The State was also the first theater in Ann Arbor to have air conditioning!
Changes Over the Years
The first big change to the State Theatre happened in November 1953. The original movie screen was replaced with a much bigger one.
In 1979, the State Theatre was divided into a four-screen multiplex. This meant it had two movie rooms on the balcony and two on the main floor. The manager, Barry Miller, said this change was made to help the theater financially and to show movies for longer periods.
Challenges and New Owners
In 1984, W. S. Butterfield Theatres sold the State Theatre to George Kerasotes. He tried to save money by stopping discounts and replacing the trained projectionists with new staff. The projectionists and their supporters protested the theater for months.
Kerasotes then sold the State to Hogarth Management in 1989. Hogarth was owned by Tom Borders, who started Borders Books. His main bookstore was very close to the State Theatre. Hogarth first wanted to turn the whole building into a store. But they ended up only changing the ground floor. The two movie rooms on the balcony and the bright neon sign stayed.
An Urban Outfitters store opened on the ground floor in August 1989. You could still see parts of the old theater inside the store, like the balcony structure above the shopping area.
After being empty for a few years, a company called Aloha Entertainment leased the theater space. They added Hawaiian-themed decorations. The theater reopened on November 13, 1992, showing older movies at lower prices. In 1997, a group of local investors bought the building. They hired the Michigan Theater Foundation to run the State in 1999. This brought the Michigan and State theaters back together!
Bringing the Theater Back to Life
In 2007, the Michigan Theater Foundation made a plan to take over the State Theatre. In 2013, the building's owners wanted to turn the upstairs theaters into apartments. The Michigan Theater Foundation then offered to buy the whole building. They bought the theater parts in 2014, but not the retail space.
A big renovation started in 2017. It brought back the original Art Deco style of the theater. Special tiles were made, and the old carpet pattern was recreated from a small piece saved by a local historian. The 2017 renovation created four movie theaters that are easy for everyone to access. They also have better views and modern sound and projection equipment.
During the COVID-19 Pandemic
The State Theatre had to close temporarily from March 2020 to February 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. It opened briefly in October 2020. Even when the building was closed, they still showed movies online through their "Virtual Movie Palace" series.
The Urban Outfitters store on the ground floor moved to Briarwood Mall in November 2020. A Target store then opened in that space in 2021. This "small-format" Target store sells a limited number of items, focusing on groceries. It's one of the smallest Target stores, about 12,000 square feet.
What's Playing at the State Theatre?
The Michigan Theater Foundation runs the State Theatre. The movies shown at the State are planned along with the movies at the nearby Michigan. The State Theatre shows new independent films and classic movies. They also have regular late-night showings of popular cult films.
