Fine Arts Theatre

02 / The story of this place

Make time for these

C. Howard Crane designed this small house, which opened on February 15, 1914, as the Addison, a legitimate playhouse. On November 14, 1915, it became the 582-seat Fine Arts, and it stayed a movie theatre for decades. Reputed drug dealer Joe Foster bought it in 1978 and showed classic and family films until a last double bill of Jason and the Argonauts and Song of the South. In the 1990s it served on and off as a nightclub for jazz, rap and comedy until police shut it down in 1998. Foster's 1997 murder, ownership lawsuits and the unsolved 2007 shooting death of its operator inside the building marked its later years, and it has stood largely empty since.

• A small C. Howard Crane house from 1914
• A 582-seat movie theatre from 1915
• A jazz, rap and comedy club in the 1990s

Plan your visit

The building still stands on Woodward Avenue but has been largely empty for years. For a show or a movie, see the working venues in our guide.