Historic movie palaces / Monroe Street theatre district
Bijou Theatre (Monroe Street)
Closed – archive entry · 1906–1975
One of Detroit's first nickelodeons opened as the Cent Odeon on Monroe Street in 1906 and hung on until the mid-1970s, one of the longest runs of any downtown theatre.
Quick facts
- Opened
- 1906
- Closed
- 1975
- Architect
- Mildner & Eisen
- Seats
- 314
02 / The story of this place
Make time for these
The Cent Odeon opened on March 5, 1906, in a former restaurant on Monroe Street, just down the block from the city's very first nickelodeon. Mildner & Eisen designed the 314-seat house. It became the Bijou in 1908, when the auditorium moved from the second floor to the ground floor, and it was one of John Kunsky's early theatres. It kept going even as the movie business moved north to Grand Circus Park, showing features, then talkies, then widescreen films as the New Bijou under Schram and Goldberg. It became the New Gayety in 1966 and the Cine X adult cinema in 1968, and closed in the mid-1970s after one of the longest runs downtown.
- One of Detroit's first nickelodeons, 1906
- An early John Kunsky house
- Nearly seven decades on Monroe Street
Plan your visit
The Bijou closed for good in the mid-1970s. For a movie downtown today, 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.
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