Historic movie palaces / Houston-Whittier / East Side
Civic Theatre
Closed – archive entry · 1941–1984
A Streamline Moderne first-run neighborhood house on Kelly Road from 1941 to 1984, with nearly 1,500 seats on a single floor and six private boxes at the back. It went out with a triple bill.
Quick facts
- Opened
- 1941
- Closed
- 1984
- Architect
- Kenneth S. Frazier
- Style
- Streamline Moderne
- Seats
- about 1,455-1,500
02 / The story of this place
Make time for these
The Civic opened in 1941 as a first-run neighborhood house on Kelly Road, designed by Kenneth S. Frazier in Streamline Moderne style. Its nearly 1,500 seats sat on a single floor, with six private boxes at the rear. Frazier designed Dearborn's Carmen Theatre the same year. Eric and Ervin Steiner bought it around 1980 and split it into three screens in November 1981. It closed on November 1, 1984, with a triple bill of The Wild Life, Gremlins and Basket Case, and became a furniture warehouse.
- Nearly 1,500 seats on one floor, six boxes
- Split into three screens in 1981
- Farewell bill: The Wild Life, Gremlins, Basket Case
Plan your visit
The Civic became a furniture warehouse, and Historic Detroit reports nothing from its glory days remains inside. For a movie tonight, check the working cinemas in our guide.
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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