Pantages Theater is right on Hollywood Boulevard and should definitely be a stop on your Hollywood road trip.
You will need to buy a ticket to see it, but it will be a “come for the show, stay for the theater” situation when you see this beautiful and unique building. It is an opulent glittering 1930’s palace of glamour dripping in ornate statues, patterned carpets, and every art deco zig zag, chevron, starburst and exotic golden cherub known to man.
Since opening in 1930, Pantages has seen hundreds of shows, and thousands of stars pass through its palatial art deco doors. It has been a location for numerous films and TV shows, been known as a live theater venue and a movie house and was the home of The Academy Awards for a decade.
Howard Hughes owned the theater in the late 1940’s and had an apartment upstairs (that is now used as offices, crushing my dream that it is an Airbnb)
In the early 2000’s the theater received a major restoration, from its highly decorated walls and ceilings to its glamorous chandeliers and outer lobby.
Pantages was designed by architect B Marcus Priteca, and was the last vaudeville house built by theater magnate Alexander Pantages.
If you can’t manage an inside visit, try for a drive by at night to see its beautiful neon sign and lightbulb encrusted outer lobby.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Southern California #147 -last visited June 2023
Comments