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Source: Cinema Treasures
The Michigan Theater opened on Sept. 17, 1930. Built during the Depression, by Schlossman Theatre Inc., descriptions of the theater from this time talk of an extraordinary beauty and grace. The theater was purchased in the mid 1970's by the Community Foundation for Muskegon County, with a generous grant of $475,000 provided by A. Harold Frauenthal. From 1995 to 1998, a $7.5 million restoration project returned this gem to its original beauty. Recently, the theater has served as the location of the Cherry County Playhouse, as well as the Miss Michigan Scholarship Program.
From Michigans Historic Sites Online
The Michigan Theater Building is a four-story, stone block, rectangular structure which features rounded corners and regular fenestration. At each floor the windows are framed by decorative escutcheons and flanked by repeating projecting bays. The front facade, located on a rounded corner, features a lighted movie marquee and a large geometric floral escutcheon, which is repeated in smaller scale above the fourth story windows at the corniceline. A downtown Muskegon landmark, the Michigan Theater Building is significant for its architecture and its role in the community. It features a fine Art Deco exterior and elaborate terra cotta interior decoration. The theater, which seats over 1800, was built as an integrated unit within an exterior shell, a unique construction technique which resulted in exceptional acoustics. It is now used as a civic theater by local groups and visiting performers.