Michigan Theatre - Old photos
Michigan Theatre
![](https://storage.googleapis.com/historic-detroit-prod/uploads/photo/photo/636/statue-wsu.jpg)
One of the statues that decorated the theater before it became a parking garage.
![](https://storage.googleapis.com/historic-detroit-prod/uploads/photo/photo/637/mitheatre60s-wsu.jpg)
The jaw-dropping opulence of the lobby.
![](https://storage.googleapis.com/historic-detroit-prod/uploads/photo/photo/638/mitheatre-int-wsu.jpg)
A rare color shot of the beautiful Michigan lobby
![](https://storage.googleapis.com/historic-detroit-prod/uploads/photo/photo/639/mitheatre-color-wsu.jpg)
The lobby.
![](https://storage.googleapis.com/historic-detroit-prod/uploads/photo/photo/640/michtheatre3.jpg)
The screen from the balcony
![](https://storage.googleapis.com/historic-detroit-prod/uploads/photo/photo/641/michtheatre2.jpg)
The rear elevation, showing the theater
![](https://storage.googleapis.com/historic-detroit-prod/uploads/photo/photo/642/michtheatre1960_0.jpg)
By 1960, the Michigan had lost much of its luster.
![](https://storage.googleapis.com/historic-detroit-prod/uploads/photo/photo/643/michtheatre1952.jpg)
The Michigan Theatre in 1952.
![](https://storage.googleapis.com/historic-detroit-prod/uploads/photo/photo/644/michtheatre.jpg)
The Michigan Building, which houses the Michigan Theatre
![](https://storage.googleapis.com/historic-detroit-prod/uploads/photo/photo/645/michstatue-wsu3.jpg)
One of the statues that decorated the theater before it became a parking garage.
![](https://storage.googleapis.com/historic-detroit-prod/uploads/photo/photo/646/michstatue-wsu2.jpg)
One of the statues that decorated the theater before it became a parking garage.
![](https://storage.googleapis.com/historic-detroit-prod/uploads/photo/photo/647/michstatue-wsu.jpg)
One of the statues that decorated the theater before it became a parking garage.
![](https://storage.googleapis.com/historic-detroit-prod/uploads/photo/photo/648/michstairs-wsu.jpg)
The grand staircase in the 1970s.
![](https://storage.googleapis.com/historic-detroit-prod/uploads/photo/photo/649/michstage-wsu.jpg)
The auditorium.
![](https://storage.googleapis.com/historic-detroit-prod/uploads/photo/photo/650/michpc.jpg)
The Michigan Theatre shortly after opening
![](https://storage.googleapis.com/historic-detroit-prod/uploads/photo/photo/651/michmarquee2.jpg)
The Michigan Theatre on the right with the Leland Hotel in the background
![](https://storage.googleapis.com/historic-detroit-prod/uploads/photo/photo/652/michmarquee.jpg)
The magnificient marquee of the Michigan
![](https://storage.googleapis.com/historic-detroit-prod/uploads/photo/photo/653/michmarq-wsu.jpg)
The glorious marquee in 1935.
![](https://storage.googleapis.com/historic-detroit-prod/uploads/photo/photo/654/michlobby.jpg)
The lobby of the magnificent Michigan.
![](https://storage.googleapis.com/historic-detroit-prod/uploads/photo/photo/655/michleland.jpg)
The Michigan Theatre on the right with the Leland Hotel in the background
![](https://storage.googleapis.com/historic-detroit-prod/uploads/photo/photo/656/michint-wsu.jpg)
The ticket line, silent and empty in the 1970s.
![](https://storage.googleapis.com/historic-detroit-prod/uploads/photo/photo/657/michigantheatre1952.jpg)
A parking cop tickets a car outside the Michigan Theatre in 1952. Maybe its owner was at a movie.
![](https://storage.googleapis.com/historic-detroit-prod/uploads/photo/photo/658/michigan-theatre-rear-ext.jpg)
The marquee on the rear of the Michigan.
![](https://storage.googleapis.com/historic-detroit-prod/uploads/photo/photo/659/michigan-theatre-gallery.jpg)
The gallery.
![](https://storage.googleapis.com/historic-detroit-prod/uploads/photo/photo/660/michigan-detroit-mezzanine.jpg)
The mezzanine
![](https://storage.googleapis.com/historic-detroit-prod/uploads/photo/photo/661/michigan-detroit-mezzanine-promenade.jpg)
The mezzanine promenade.
![](https://storage.googleapis.com/historic-detroit-prod/uploads/photo/photo/662/michigan-detroit-lobby-stair.jpg)
The grand staircase in the 1970s.
![](https://storage.googleapis.com/historic-detroit-prod/uploads/photo/photo/663/michhorse-wsu.jpg)
The theater was decorated with various sculptures and statues, such as this chariot seen in the 1960s.
![](https://storage.googleapis.com/historic-detroit-prod/uploads/photo/photo/664/mich1970int-wsu.jpg)
The Michigan Theatre's lobby about 1970.
![](https://storage.googleapis.com/historic-detroit-prod/uploads/photo/photo/665/mich1970-wsu.jpg)
The Michigan Theatre's lobby about 1970.
![](https://storage.googleapis.com/historic-detroit-prod/uploads/photo/photo/666/mich1967-wsu.jpg)
The blade marquee was removed, as shown here in 1966, leaving only the bottom.
![](https://storage.googleapis.com/historic-detroit-prod/uploads/photo/photo/667/mich1950s-wsu.jpg)
The Michigan Theatre, left, with blade sign during the 1950s.
![](https://storage.googleapis.com/historic-detroit-prod/uploads/photo/photo/668/mich.-th.-chariot.jpg)
The horse and chariot sculpture.
![](https://storage.googleapis.com/historic-detroit-prod/uploads/photo/photo/669/mich.-th.-booth.jpg)
The projection booth.
![](https://storage.googleapis.com/historic-detroit-prod/uploads/photo/photo/670/mich-wsu2_0.jpg)
This is why they called them movie palaces.
![](https://storage.googleapis.com/historic-detroit-prod/uploads/photo/photo/671/mich-wsu.jpg)
The auditorium, as seen from the balcony.
![](https://storage.googleapis.com/historic-detroit-prod/uploads/photo/photo/672/mich-stage.jpg)
The view from the balcony.
![](https://storage.googleapis.com/historic-detroit-prod/uploads/photo/photo/673/fountain-in-foyer-mich-det.jpg)
A fountain in the lobby.
![](https://storage.googleapis.com/historic-detroit-prod/uploads/photo/photo/675/bagleynight-wsu.jpg)
The Michigan's blade marquee illuminated in 1946. Looking down Bagley Avenue.
![](https://storage.googleapis.com/historic-detroit-prod/uploads/photo/photo/676/bagleyday.jpg)
The blade marquees of the Michigan and United Artists.
![](https://storage.googleapis.com/historic-detroit-prod/uploads/photo/photo/3996/068.jpg)
The 10-story blade marquee that once hung outside.