Lost theater, Detroit, 1914 to 1953
Palace Theatre
Demolished in 1953
- Opened
- 1914
- Style
- Italian Renaissance
- Torn down
- 1953
Designed by C. Howard Crane
The Palace Theatre stood in Detroit from 1914 until 1953. Here is what it was, who made it and where to find the spot today.
Then and now
What stands there now
Today
A construction site
Detroit's Palace Theatre, designed by C. Howard Crane, stood on this spot for 39 years. It came down 73 years ago. Today the spot is a construction site.
- 1914 Opens Palace Theatre
- 1931 Closes Palace Theatre
- 1953 Comes down Palace Theatre
- 2026 Today Construction site
How we know what stands there
- OpenStreetMap construction site at the map point
- County parcel records VACANT COMMERCIAL
Checked October 25, 2026. We never guess: a site no source speaks for shows no answer.
What is there now
A construction site
- Today Source: OpenStreetMap and County parcel records
- Palace Theatre came down Source: Historic Detroit
We checked Wikidata, Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Rebuild Detroit's landmark records and the county parcel records on October 25, 2026.
The story
In 1914, during the boom years when the auto industry turned Detroit into one of the fastest growing cities in America, the Palace Theatre went up.
C. Howard Crane drew the plans, in the Italian Renaissance style.
It is gone now, demolished in 1953, and the map pin below marks where it stood.
Timeline
- 1914 Built Designed by C. Howard Crane
- 1931 Closed
- 1953 Demolished
- 2026 Today 73 years since it came down
Where it is
130 Monroe Ave.
On this map
- 1 Palace Theatre This place
- 2 National Theatre 40 ft
- 3 St. John’s German Evangelical Church 140 ft
- 4 Monroe Avenue Commercial Buildings 160 ft
- 5 Pochelon Building 160 ft
- 6 Crowley's Department Store 160 ft
- 7 Liberty Theatre 190 ft
- 8 Hilsendegen Block 200 ft
- 9 Water Board Building 260 ft
Street map from OpenStreetMap contributors
Who made it
Architect
C. Howard CraneAmerican architect, 1885 to 1952. Designed the Fox Theater Building (1928) and 30 more in Metro Detroit
Also by C. Howard Crane
- Liberty Theatre 1871
- Adams Theatre and Fine Arts Building 1905
- Comique Theatre 1905
- Ralph E. Burnham House 1908
- Columbia Theatre 1911
- H. Cleland Allison House 1912
More from Detroit in the 1910s
-
Detroit Waldorf School
School, built 1914, by Albert Kahn
Photo: Andrew Jameson, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
-
![Capitol Park Building, [Griswold Street from Capitol Park, Detroit, Mich.]](https://rebuilddetroit.com/wp-content/uploads/rd-photos/landmarks/landmark-4329-2213-thumb-3f981d9a17.jpg)
Capitol Park Building
Building, built 1913, by Leonard B. Willeke
Photo: Detroit Publishing Company, no known restrictions, via Library of Congress
-
David Whitney Building
Hotel, built 1915, Beaux Arts, by Graham, Burnham & Co.
Photo: St8fan, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
-
Detroit Athletic Club
Building, built 1915, by Albert Kahn
Photo: Detroit Publishing Company, no known restrictions, via Library of Congress
-
![Edelweiss Cafe, [Edelweiss Cafe, Detroit, Mich.]](https://rebuilddetroit.com/wp-content/uploads/rd-photos/landmarks/landmark-4440-2281-thumb-050a05b82b.jpg)
Edelweiss Cafe
Building, built 1913, Dutch Colonial, by Mildner & Eisen, demolished 1949
Photo: Detroit Publishing Company, no known restrictions, via Library of Congress
-
Farwell Building
Building, built 1915, Chicago School, by Harrie W. Bonnah
Photo: Andrew Jameson, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Around the block
-
National Theatre
Theater, built 1911, Baroque-Beaux Arts, by Albert Kahn, demolished 2024
Photo: Andrew Jameson, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
40 ft
- St. John’s German Evangelical Church House of worship, built 1853, demolished 1878 140 ft
-
Monroe Avenue Commercial Buildings
Historic district, demolished
Photo: Andrew Jameson, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
160 ft
- Pochelon Building Building, built 1923, Neoclassical, by Mildner & Eisen, demolished 160 ft
- Crowley's Department Store Building, built 1906, Beaux Arts, by Field, Hinchman & Smith, demolished 1977 160 ft
- Liberty Theatre Theater, built 1871, by C. Howard Crane, demolished 1926 190 ft
- Hilsendegen Block Building, built 1867, Italianate, by Peter Dederichs, demolished 1953 200 ft
-
Water Board Building
Building, built 1928, Art Moderne, by Louis Kamper
Photo: Warren LeMay, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
260 ft
Sources
Facts only, gathered from these sources. The story above is written by Rebuild Detroit. Every photo names its author and license where it appears.