Historic movie palaces / Wyoming Avenue / Northwest Detroit
Westown Theater
Closed – archive entry · 1936–1968
A neighborhood movie house on Wyoming in northwest Detroit that acted like a downtown palace: 2,000 seats, an unusually extravagant marquee and an opening night where guests watched themselves arrive on screen.
Quick facts
- Opened
- 1936
- Closed
- 1968
- Architect
- Charles N. Agree
- Style
- French Moderne / Streamline Moderne
- Seats
- 2000
02 / The story of this place
Make time for these
The Westown opened on November 25, 1936, with 2,000 seats, a Wisper & Wetsman house designed by Charles N. Agree. Its look mixed French Moderne and Streamline Moderne, and its marquee was unusually extravagant for a neighborhood cinema. The whole thing cost nearly $250,000. Opening night had a twist: before the feature, the crowd watched footage of themselves arriving, a stunt usually reserved for the big downtown palaces. It was still running in January 1968 but had closed by that August, and the building was later demolished.
- 2,000 seats in a neighborhood house
- Designed by Charles N. Agree, opened 1936
- Opening-night crowd saw itself on screen
Plan your visit
The Westown closed in 1968 and was later torn down, so there's nothing left to see on Wyoming. For a movie night, check the cinemas in our guide that are still open.
Cinemas nearby
Back to cinemas ↗
Multiplexes / Detroit
Bel Air Luxury Cinema
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IMAX & giant screens / Detroit
Michigan Science Center – Immersive Dome Theater
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Film festivals / Detroit
Detroit Black Film Festival
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