Fox Theatre (Detroit)

Fox Theatre
The building in 2022
Map
Address2211 Woodward Avenue
Detroit, Michigan
48201
Public transit Montcalm Street
OwnerOlympia Entertainment
Operator313 Presents
TypePerforming arts center
Capacity5,174
Current uselive event venue
Construction
Opened1928
ReopenedNovember 19, 1988
Website
www.olympiaentertainment.com
Fox Theatre
Coordinates42°20′18.96″N 83°3′8.05″W / 42.3386000°N 83.0522361°W / 42.3386000; -83.0522361
ArchitectC. Howard Crane
Restoration by
William Kessler
Architectural styleArt Deco with a blend of Burmese, Indian, Persian, Chinese, and Hindu motifs[2]
NRHP reference No.85000280[1]
Significant dates
Added to NRHPFebruary 14, 1985
Designated NHLJune 29, 1989[3]
Designated MSHSOctober 17, 1991

The Fox Theatre is a performing arts center located at 2211 Woodward Avenue in Downtown Detroit, Michigan, near the Grand Circus Park Historic District. Opened in 1928 as a flagship movie palace in the Fox Theatres chain, it was at over 5,000 seats the largest theater in the city. Designed by theater architect C. Howard Crane, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.

It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1989 for its architecture. The area surrounding the Fox is nicknamed Foxtown. The city's major performance centers and theatres emanate from the Fox Theatre and Grand Circus Park Historic District and continue along Woodward Avenue toward the Fisher Theatre in the city's New Center.[2]

The Fox has 5,048 seats (5,174 seats if removable seats placed in the raised orchestra pit are included). It is the largest surviving movie palace of the 1920s and the largest of the original Fox Theatres. The Fox was fully restored in 1988.[4][5] The adjacent office building houses the headquarters of Olympia Entertainment and Little Caesars.[6][7]

  1. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. April 15, 2008.
  2. ^ a b Hill, Eric J. & Gallagher, John (2002). AIA Detroit: The American Institute of Architects Guide to Detroit Architecture. Detroit: Wayne State University Press. p. 62. ISBN 978-0-8143-3120-0. Retrieved March 31, 2013.
  3. ^ "Fox Theater (Detroit)". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Archived from the original on October 10, 2012. Retrieved June 27, 2008.
  4. ^ Hodges, Michael H. (September 8, 2003). "Fox Theater's Rebirth Ushered in City's Renewal". Michigan History. The Detroit News. Archived from the original on December 5, 2012. Retrieved August 14, 2012.
  5. ^ Marzejka, Laurie J. (January 25, 1998). "Detroit's Historic Fox Theatre". The Detroit News. WinterWaterWonderland.com. Retrieved June 11, 2015.
  6. ^ "About Us". Olympia Entertainment. 2006. Archived from the original on January 7, 2010. Retrieved November 2, 2009.
  7. ^ "Franchise Opportunities" (PDF). Little Caesars Enterprises. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 4, 2013. Retrieved November 2, 2009.