Kentucky Theater

Louisville, KY

649-651 South Fourth Street

, Louisville, KY, United States

(map)

Status:	Open
Screens:	Single Screen
Style:	Italian Renaissance

Function:	Playhouse
Seats:	1100
Chain:	Unknown

Architect:	Unknown
Firm:	Joseph & Joseph

The Kentucky was built in 1921 by Joseph & Joseph, the same architects of the Kentucky Theater in Lexington. It was originally operated by the Modern Amusement Company, which also ran the Kentucky Theater in Lexington.

A 1940 remodeling increased seating from 780 to 1100 by the addition of a balcony. The theater's color scheme and decor was also changed at this time.

In 1984 it became home for a multimedia slide presentation promoting Kentucky tourism, but the show was short-lived and in 1986 the building closed. Ten years later the City of Louisville marked the abandoned building for demolition.

Local entrepreneur George Stinson bought the historic theater at auction to save it from the wrecking ball and in 1998 gave a no-cost lease to a band of volunteers who created a non-profit arts organization, called the Kentucky Theater Project, Inc. Since that time, organization founders have worked with more than 200 volunteers to transform the Kentucky Theater into a vibrant community arts center that is bringing new life to Fourth Street.

Related Websites

Kentucky Theater Project (Official)

Contributed by Brendan McKenna, Bryan Krefft

YOUR COMMENTS

Here is a link to a photograph of the Kentucky's exterior in 1983. From the Library of Congress.

posted by Bryan Krefft on Dec 5, 2003 at 4:50pm

Nice recent photo:
http://wrka.com/MARKET/shared/info/4thstreet.html

posted by TC on Sep 27, 2005 at 8:03am

Nice side by side photo of the Kentucky and Ohio Theatres
http://snipurl.com/oc0a

posted by Chuck1231 on Mar 28, 2006 at 2:52pm

The official site at the top of the page appears to be defunct. Here is another web site with information, photos and some annoying music:
http://tinyurl.com/pgaxo

posted by ken mc on Aug 26, 2006 at 12:54pm

The link in Ken's posting above is for the Kentucky Theatre in Lexington, not the one in Louisville. He's right about the annoying music, though!

posted by Mike from Cincinnati on Oct 21, 2006 at 4:55pm

Recent photos of this theatre are HERE

posted by BWChicago on Sep 30, 2007 at 9:06pm

A Louisville theater organ opus 528 size 2/6 was installed in the Kentucky Theater in 1927.

posted by Lost Memory on Oct 13, 2007 at 8:27pm

Here are sixteen photos from the Library of Congress.

posted by Lost Memory on Sep 25, 2008 at 10:48am

1983 photo of the Kentucky Theatre.
http://americanclassicimages.com/Default.aspx?tabid=141&txtSearch=CATAdvancedSearch1%2c17%2c3%2c-1&catpageindex=15&ProductID=27744

posted by Chuck1231 on Apr 13, 2009 at 10:21pm

This is another 1983 photo.

posted by Lost Memory on May 21, 2009 at 11:11am

This site has some modern and vintage photos.

posted by Lost Memory on Jun 13, 2009 at 1:54pm

Since this theater is listed as a playhouse I wonder if films are shown on its stage? And thanks to George Stinson for saving this theatre from that wrecking ball.

posted by Patsy on Sep 18, 2009 at 11:05am

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