Detroit’s theater district is said to be the second-largest in the United States after New York City’s, and the historic Fox Theatre is the nucleus of the district. Although the surrounding area exudes a cosmopolitan cool left over from the days of variety entertainment, and there’s no shortage of watering holes and clubs, it’s this 5,000-seat theater where you’ll get the best glimpse of Detroit’s past glory. Even if you’re not coming for one of the frequent shows, take a minute to appreciate the interior and exterior of the U.S.'s largest surviving 1920’s performing arts house.
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Detroit's Show Goes On
Detroit’s theater district is said to be the second-largest in the United States after New York City’s, and the historic Fox Theatre is the nucleus of the district. Although the surrounding area exudes a cosmopolitan cool left over from the days of variety entertainment, and there’s no shortage of watering holes and clubs, it’s this 5,000-seat theater where you’ll get the best glimpse of Detroit’s past glory. Even if you’re not coming for one of the frequent shows, take a minute to appreciate the interior and exterior of the U.S.'s largest surviving 1920’s performing arts house.
The Best Place to Be Entertained in Detroit
The Fox Theatre on Woodward Avenue in Detroit is one of five built by William Fox in the 1920s, but it was the first to have built-in equipment for sound films. After an extensive renovation by current owner Mike Ilitch, it is now the largest surviving movie palace of the 1920s and the largest of the Fox Theatres to still be in use today. The Fox built in St. Louis is almost a twin, save for 500 fewer seats. It now anchors what local residents often refer to as, ‘Foxtown’ and with the other nearby performing arts theaters, Comerica Park, and Ford Field it is the best place to be entertained in Detroit. While the Theatre began as a movie palace, today it is the home of Broadway shows, the Rockettes at Christmas, and many of the largest concerts that occur in the city. A stunning interior is worth a trip in and of itself, because of the unusual mix of Burmese, Chinese, Indian, and Persian motifs.
