The Senate Theater, built in 1926 on Michigan Avenue, is a rare surviving example of a blue-collar neighborhood “picture show” that has remained largely intact, avoiding extensive “remuddling.”

Designed by architect Christian W. Brandt, who was known for several smaller Detroit theaters - including the Times Square Theater and LaSalle Garden Theater, most of which have not survived - the Senate Theater underwent an Art Deco-style renovation in the 1930s, adding a new façade and a striking vertical marquee. A second remodel followed in 1949, this time in the Art Moderne style, led by architect Ted Rogvoy. The theater operated until 1959, when it closed.

By 1963, the building had fallen into serious disrepair, with a large hole in the roof and a flooded basement. That year, the Detroit Theater Organ Society (DTOS) - previously known as the Detroit Theater Organ Club -acquired the structure and undertook a major renovation, transforming it into a home for the Wurlitzer organ from the former Fisher Theater. Before finding its permanent home at the Senate, the organ had been set up and played at the Iris Theater between 1961 and 1963, where the club hosted several concerts.

As part of the restoration, the seating capacity was reduced from 1,200 to about 900. Unlike the Redford Theater, which combines organ performances with classic film screenings, the Senate operated solely as a concert venue after its projection equipment was removed.

Today, the Wurlitzer organ remains the centerpiece of the Senate Theater’s programming, and since May 2013, the venue has once again hosted film screenings alongside its concerts.