The Louisville Palace

625 S. Fourth Street

Louisville, Kentucky

The Palace is in downtown Louisville located in the city's theatre district

Seating capacity is 2,800.

A treasure to generations of Louisvillians, the theatre's legacy as Louisville's place for entertainment continues!

When the Louisville Palace Theatre was built in the late 1920s its goal was to provide an escape from reality, transporting theatre-goers immediately upon entering, immersing them into a wonderous place from the moment they stepped inside before the movie even started. 

The Louisville Palace's grand opening, as a movie theatre, was on September 1, 1928.  It was originally named "The Loew's and United Artists State Theatre".  The building is not like any other with a marquee and castle-like towers.  Upon entering the auditorium one is transported into an ornate Spanish courtyard typically referred to as an atmospheric auditorium.

It was originally created by renowed architect, John Eberson.  Eberson's unique architectural style contributes to something magnificent and enhances the imagination of visitors.  With a sky of midnight blue among the twinkling stars, you are surrounded by grottos and elegant images.  

John Adolph Emil Eberson

Circa 1912

1875-1954

Eberson was an Austrian-American architect best known for the development and promotion of movie palace designs in the atmospheric theatre style.  He designed over 500 theatres in his lifetime.  His most notable surviving theatres in the United States include the Tampa Theatre (1926); the Palace Theatre Marion (1928); the Majestic Theatre (1929; the Akron Civic Theatre (1929); the Paramount Theatre (1929) and the State Theatre (1927).

The Tampa Theatre is located in Tampa, Florida; the Palace Theatre Marion is located in Marion, Ohio; the Majestic Theatre is located in San Antonio, Texas; the Akron Civic Theatre is located in Akron, Ohio; the Paramount Theatre is located in Anderson, Indiana and the State Theatre is located in Kalamazoo, Michigan.  Remaining international examples in the atmospheric style include both the Capitol Theatre (1928) and the State Theatre (1929) in Sydney, Australia.  In addition, The Forum (1929) in Melbourne, Australia and the Le Grand Rex (1932) in Paris, France.

Many of Eberson's later designs, some executed with his son, Drew were in the art deco and streamline moderne styles.  

Ceiling of Celebrity Faces

The middle lobby ceiling features a total of 139 faces, showcasing famous composers, writers, philsophers and the Palace's very own architect, John Eberson and restorer, John Siegel.

In the 70s, the Palace closed due to lack of business from other movie theatres opening in the area, but a bright new future began decades later.  At the tender age of 28, John Siegel purchased the venue for $4.4 million in the early 90s for restoration to bring back the lavish treasure of the city.  Siegel succeeded in restoring a one of a kind venue though it was necessary to keep up with consistent efforts to maintain such an historic building. Eventually, Siegel was forced to declare bankruptcy though, in time, the city thanked Siegel for his contributions in saving this architectural treasure from the risk of becoming a parking lot.  He is forever immortalized in the lobby's "Ceiling of Celebrity Faces". Siegel worked hard to obtain financing to restore the Palace to its original, historical beauty for generations to come.  The City of Louisville is forever grateful for his efforts and to John Eberson for building such a truly beautiful cinema treasure in downtown Louisville. 

Since the 70s, the building has been owned by a number of people.  In 2005, Live Nation Entertainment purchased the Palace.  The theatre still operates the historic ticket booth, marquee sign and keeps the ornate architecture to its original glory.  The Louisville Palace is the only remaining cinema of its era in the entire city.  It is a prized, historic building and is a must-see for anyone visiting Louisville and the State of Kentucky. 

The Louisville Palace was listed on the National Registry of Historic Places March 28, 1978.

The Historic Ticket Kios