Historic movie palaces / Grand River Avenue / Northwest Detroit
Norwest Theatre
Closed – archive entry · 1936–2000
An Art Deco movie house on Grand River Avenue from 1936 to 2000 that went from first-run palace to bargain second-run cinema and outlived most of its peers.
Quick facts
- Opened
- 1936
- Closed
- 2000
- Architect
- Hector G. Payne
- Style
- Art Deco
- Seats
- 1,366 (about 1,100 after twinning)
02 / The story of this place
Make time for these
The Art Deco Norwest opened on Grand River Avenue in 1936, designed by Hector G. Payne, who drew the Varsity Theatre the same year. It was a first-run house until around 1978 and reopened in 1979 as a bargain second-run cinema under Robert Sloan, who also ran the Mercury. In the mid-1980s it was one of only four neighborhood family cinemas still operating in Detroit, and it was later twinned. It outlived most of its peers, closing on September 20, 2000. It was demolished in August 2004.
- Hector G. Payne's 1936 Art Deco house
- A bargain second-run cinema from 1979
- Hung on until September 20, 2000
Plan your visit
The Norwest was demolished in August 2004 and no longer stands on Grand River Avenue. For a movie night, check the working Detroit 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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