Baltimore's Movie Theaters
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 Baltimore Movie theaters have a long and interesting past. The City, which over the past years has nearly had a population of 1 million, has lost much of it's population to the Counties over the past years. Those buildings that once were the entertainment of our lives have all but  been forgotten, but the construction under which they were built has kept most of these buildings standing and used for other purposes.

Downtown Baltimore

   Downtown Baltimore was home to all of the "Palaces" in Town, as well as many of the nickelodeons that were cropping up when movies first started. Downtown Baltimore was the  home to the Century/Valencia, Hippodrome, Town, Stanley, Keith's , Mayfair,Rivoli, and New. Very little is left of the Downtown Theaters through the years, with most of them being lost in the 1960's. Baltimore's Charles Center is built on the site of the Century/Valencia Theaters. Seating about 3,000/1,500, these downtown theaters were built one on top of the other. In the unit block of West Lexington Street, they were razed to make way for the high rises that now occupy the site. One block to the West, Keith's ( also known as Keith's Garden ) was a 2,500 seat theater that had once been a vaudeville theater. The theater itself has long been torn down, but the facade remain, currently a wig store. It is doubtful the many shoppers that pass the building each day have any idea that once one of Baltimore's finest movie theaters once was located at that site. One more block to the West, the New Theater stands, although the future is uncertain for this old movie house. The New lasted into the 1980's, and is currently a clothing store, but recent plans in the area call for the demoltion of the building. 

    

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     The Keith's on Lexington Street .
old Keiths Theatre Facade

      But all is not lost for Baltimore's Downtown Theaters. The Hippodrome has been converted into a Performing Arts Center. The Hippodrome is one of Baltimore's oldest movie theaters, and lasted to the 1980's before closing.  Hippodrome Theatre Baltimore

                                                  Baltimore's Hippodrome Theater, on Eutaw Street.  
                      

Just around the corner,  Baltimore's Town Theater sits, and it too may have a chance. The Everyman's Theatre  has recently purchased the building, and there's talk of bringing this old gem back as well.
  Town Theatre Baltimore
 
  Another empty theater with plans on the works is the Mayfair, which once stood next to the grand Stanley, which was torn down in the 1960's. The Mayfair has been in poor condition for years, and there have been fears the building might collapse, but recent plans are in the works to convert the old theater into a apartment complex, while leaving much of the facade intact.

 

Mayfair Baltimore  
A look at the now vacant MAYFAIR
 
Looking west towards the MAYFAIR, it is easy to see the site of the old STANLEY, torn down in the 1960's
The parking lot you are looking across was the block on which the LITTLE Theater was found.

 Across the street, the Little Theater stood, but has recently been torn down for yet another parking lot.

  ....................................................................Little Theatre Site
 
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