Michigan Theatre - Lansing MI

Address: 217 S. Washington
City: Lansing
State: MI
Zip: 48933
County: Ingham
Open: 1920
Capacity: 1786
Owner History: Butterfield Theatres
Theater Type: Downtown Movie Palace
Number of visits to this page: 34087
Disclaimer:

Please note that location entries may feature older photos or post card views that may not represent the current appearance, features, addresses, phone numbers, or contact names of the attraction. This site is intended to be a historical as well as current record of various attractions but it is not always possible to have up-to-date information due to the vast number of locations featured here. We ask you consult the propietor for current information.

General Information:

Source: Lansing Public Library

The Strand Theater began as the project of Walter S. Butterfield who wanted to build one of the finest theaters in Michigan. Ground was broke in March of 1920 and the building was completed in April of 1921. The theater had a seating capacity of 1,786 patrons. The site also housed a bowling alley, a billiard room and a banquet hall.

The Strand Theater and Arcade was located at 215 S. Washington Avenue and became an immediate hit with the people of Lansing. The popularity of vaudeville was waning and the decision was made to phase out vaudeville in favor of the new media movies. The Strand Theater remained popular with movie going patrons. The building was beginning to display its age and in 1941 the theater was remodeled in an Art Deco style. The old marquee was replaced with a new one introducing the Michigan Theater.

The Michigan Theater was a mainstay of the downtown community for years, but like all urban theaters it began to succumb to the pressure brought by drive-ins and mega-plex movie theaters. The end had come, in a way, for this theater. Fortunately it did not become just another abandon lot. Part of the building was converted into office space and the rest, yes, a parking lot.

Source: Michigan's Historic Sites Online

The Michigan Theater and Arcade is a large commercial structure containing the Michigan Theater and a two-story arcade. The theater was designed by John Eberson in a Renaissance Classical style labeled by the architect as French or Gallic. In 1941 the structure was extensively remodeled; it is now a pleasant mixture of classical and Art Deco elements. The structures front facade is two stories high-- except for a three-story, gabled, central block over the main entrance-- and is constructed of red brick and decorated with terra cotta pilasters and other trimmings.

The Michigan Theater and Arcade was built in 1920 and 1921 as the Strand Theater and Arcade Building. A commercial and entertainment center-- originally containing a theater, ballroom, bowling alley, and stores grouped around an arcade-- it was constructed for Walter Scott Butterfield, a Michigan theater entrepreneur and vaudeville pioneer. The theaters architect was John Eberson, one of the most talented and well known American theater architects during the golden age of theater design in the early twentieth century.

In architectural terms, the Michigan Theater and Arcade is significant not only for its lavish, original, French Renaissance-Classical detailing-- still intact in many parts of the structure-- but also for its fine Art Deco auditorium and lobbies, the result of a 1941 remodeling directed by John and Drew Eberson.

Source: Cinema Treasures

Designed by John Eberson in 1920, the Strand, with its highly ornate terra cotta facade, was originally a vaudeville house, but later started to screen movies as well, eventually switching to just movies. Like most of Eberson's theaters, its auditorium was decorated in atmospheric style, with neoclassical touches.

After closing as a movie house in the 70s, the Strand sat vacant and decrepit until 1984, when it was brilliantly transformed into a mixed-use office and retail center by the firm of Hobbs and Black & Associates. Although the auditorium could not be saved, its grand lobby, ballroom and storefront areas were transformed to their 20s grandeur. The focal point of the office foyer space is now the large marble staircase.

The facade was also repaired after damage inflicted on it during a "modernization" years before. Limestone of the same shade as the original terra cotta was used to replace sections of the original terra cotta that were lost.

Info Updates:
11/27/2013 - Kris Ackerman
Barbara Allen Robinson you may be right about all four daughters being on the front of the building. If you look at the close ups of the theater with the newer marquee on top of the marquee you can see the top of a statue, as well s one of the cameos at the top of the building. In other pictures you can see both cameos at the top of the building, and in the recent pic there are two alcoves visible lower down, one of these alcoves was probably were the statue seen in the other photo sat prior to the 1941 remodel. So this tells us since there are two alcoves that there were two statues. So all four daughters were depicted on the front of the building, one of them being your mother. The question is what happen to these statues and why did they not put them back in their original homes? Someone should contact the firm that restored the building and see if they can find out.
3/18/2011 - Barbara Allen Robinson
I am Walter Scott Butterfield's granddaughter, the only direct line here in the state of Michigan. I've always been told that the pictures of the 2 girls on the facade are 2 of his 4 daughters. My mother was the oldest of the 4 girls. I had originally thought that all 4 girls were on the facade, but I do see only two. There was quite a fight a few years back attempting to save the theatre so it was really a compromise to be able to save the facade. I think we had hoped to keep the theatre like the one in Ann Arbor. Not enough clout. Here in Grand Rapids we saved the Majestic and it's a successful restoration owned by our local Civic Theatre. The Wealthy theatre which was a Butterfield and Johnson property is now restored and is being used in many interesting ways. Barbara Robinson.
 Photos:31
Michigan Theatre - Great Color Shot From Postcard
Great Color Shot From Postcard
Michigan Theatre - Night Shot From Postcard
Night Shot From Postcard
Michigan Theatre - Old Marquee Shot
Old Marquee Shot
Michigan Theatre - Old Auditorium Shot
Old Auditorium Shot
Michigan Theatre - Old Color Snapshot
Old Color Snapshot
Michigan Theatre - Old Color Snapshot
Old Color Snapshot
Michigan Theatre - As Strand
As Strand
Michigan Theatre - As Strand
As Strand
Michigan Theatre - As Strand
As Strand
Michigan Theatre - The Stage
The Stage
Michigan Theatre - Michigan Arcade
Michigan Arcade
Michigan Theatre - Bowling Alley
Bowling Alley
Michigan Theatre - 1965 Shot
1965 Shot
Michigan Theatre - 2011 From Teresa
2011 From Teresa
Michigan Theatre - 2011 From Teresa
2011 From Teresa
Michigan Theatre - 2011 From Teresa
2011 From Teresa
Michigan Theatre - 2011 From Teresa
2011 From Teresa
Michigan Theatre - 2011 From Teresa
2011 From Teresa
Michigan Theatre - 2011 From Teresa
2011 From Teresa
Michigan Theatre - 2011 From Teresa
2011 From Teresa
Michigan Theatre - 2011 From Teresa
2011 From Teresa
Michigan Theatre - 2011 From Teresa
2011 From Teresa
Michigan Theatre - Old Interior Shot
Old Interior Shot
Michigan Theatre - Old Interior Shot
Old Interior Shot
Michigan Theatre - Waiting In Line
Waiting In Line
Michigan Theatre - 1977 Marquee Pic
1977 Marquee Pic
Michigan Theatre - Balcony Now
Balcony Now
Michigan Theatre - Exterior Now
Exterior Now
Michigan Theatre - Old Photo Of Strand
Old Photo Of Strand
Michigan Theatre - Inside Now
Inside Now
Michigan Theatre - Old Pic From Kara Tilotson
Old Pic From Kara Tilotson
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