Avenue Theatre

02 / The story of this place

Make time for these

The building opened on November 8, 1859, as Merrill Hall, a place for lectures and recitals, and an 1886 art exhibition there helped lead to the founding of the Detroit Museum of Art, forerunner of the DIA. On Christmas Day 1886 it reopened as Wonderland, a variety house whose business later moved to Campus Martius and became the Temple Theatre. For most of the 20th century it was the Avenue, one of downtown's best-known burlesque houses, which also screened films as the Triangle from 1916. In 1932 Mayor Frank Murphy called its managers in over the content of their shows. It was torn down in March 1950 to make room for the City-County Building.

• Opened in 1859 as Merrill Hall
• An 1886 art show here helped lead to the DIA
• The mayor called its managers in, 1932

Plan your visit

The Avenue was torn down in 1950, and the City-County Building went up on its site. For live theatre downtown today, see the working stages in our guide.