Historic movie palaces / Grand River Avenue
Annex Theatre
Closed – archive entry · 1927–1950
The Grand Riviera's little sibling, half a block away, built to catch the crowds who couldn't get into the big house. John Eberson hung twinkling stars, drifting clouds and floating doves over the audience.
Quick facts
- Opened
- 1927
- Closed
- 1950
- Architect
- John Eberson
- Style
- Atmospheric
- Seats
- 1824
02 / The story of this place
Make time for these
The Annex opened on February 4, 1927, with Conrad Nagel in Tin Hats, half a block from the Grand Riviera on Grand River Avenue, built to absorb its parent's overflow crowds. John Eberson gave it the same atmospheric magic as the Riviera: twinkling electric stars, drifting projected clouds, garden walls with lit windows, artificial trees and doves suspended overhead. The 1,824-seat, single-floor house was the only known Eberson design of its kind, with the projection booth tucked under the twin staircase to the mezzanine lounge. It closed in the autumn of 1950 as its owners steered audiences back to the Riviera, and it was demolished in 1954. Its Robert Morton organ went to a church in Minneapolis.
- Twinkling stars and drifting clouds overhead
- Single-floor house, booth tucked under the stairs
- Its Robert Morton organ went to Minneapolis
Plan your visit
The Annex was demolished in 1954, so there's nothing left to see on Grand River Avenue. For that old movie-palace feeling, try the historic theatres and 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.
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