Historic movie palaces / Linwood / Northwest Detroit
Avalon Theatre
Closed – archive entry · 1928–1967
A nearly 2,000-seat neighborhood house on Linwood Street, open from 1928 to 1967, with a three-manual Barton organ. It was designed by Chicago's Graven & Mayger, the firm behind the Fisher Theatre's original Mayan-style interior.
Quick facts
- Opened
- 1928
- Closed
- 1967
- Architect
- Graven & Mayger
- Seats
- 1972
02 / The story of this place
Make time for these
The Avalon was built in 1928 for the Wisper & Wetsman chain on Linwood Street, and with 1,972 seats it was big for a neighborhood house. C. Howard Crane drew the early plans, but the job went to Chicago's Graven & Mayger. The firm designed only a couple of Detroit-area theatres, including the original Mayan-style interior of the Fisher Theatre. A three-manual Barton organ supplied the music. The Avalon closed in 1967; thieves later stripped the organ's metal pipes from the empty building, which crumbled for nearly ten years before it was demolished.
- Nearly 2,000 seats in a neighborhood house
- By the firm behind the Fisher's first interior
- Three-manual Barton organ
Plan your visit
The Avalon has been demolished and no longer stands on Linwood Street. For a movie night with some old-school character, check the cinemas in our guide that are still open.
Cinemas nearby
Back to cinemas ↗
Multiplexes / Detroit
Bel Air Luxury Cinema
The only first-run multiplex inside Detroit's city limits: ten screens on East Eight Mile with luxury rockers, recliners and a giant custom chandelier. No need to drive out to the suburbs for the new releases.
IMAX & giant screens / Detroit
Michigan Science Center – Immersive Dome Theater
Midtown's science museum runs three screens: the giant Immersive Dome Theater, the Penske Planetarium and the 3D Toyota Engineering Theater. The museum calls the dome the largest theatre in Michigan.
Film festivals / Detroit
Detroit Black Film Festival
Independent films directed, written or produced by Black filmmakers, at a Detroit festival Lazar and Marshalle Favors started in 2020. The 7th edition in September 2026 screens 89 films from 30 countries, with the Charles H. Wright Museum as its hub.