Palmer Park Theatre

Located in Highland Park to the north of Detroit. Built for William Graham and Nathan and Raymond Schreiber and opened July 23, 1937, the Palmer Park Theatre cost over $200,000 to erect. It was designed by Charles N. Agree in French Moderne style, similar in appearance to his Westown Theatre of a year earlier, in Detroit.

In 1950, it was sold to Art Weisberg who changed the programing to become an arthouse movie theatre. He would later go onto operate former palaces like the Summit Theatre and United Artists Theatre in downtown Detroit during the 1970’s as adult theatres.

The Palmer Park was recently demolished after falling into disrepair since closing years ago. Since at least 2009 a gas station operates on the site.

Recent comments (view all 4 comments)

sdoerr on May 1, 2004 at 1:08 pm

This will tkae you to a drawing of the Palmer Park

brian74 on June 4, 2004 at 1:14 pm

I saw “Bonnie and Clyde” there on Xmas Eve one time. I think they edited the ending of that movie since then because I was young and the way they shot up Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway in the end, one could'nt forget that, even on Xmas Eve. Oh well, it was a nice theatre.

rivest266 on November 5, 2015 at 2:23 am

July 23rd, 1937 grand opening ad in photo section.

BobHollberg on August 30, 2024 at 12:03 pm

Art film theater in the early 1950’s.

From Detroit Free Press (12/30/52):

Palmer Park Changes Film

“Marie du Port,” French movie starring Jean Gabin, will open at 11:30 p. m. New Year’s Eve at the Palmer Park Theater.

Tuesday gives the last chance to see “The Emperor’s Nightingale” in color, in which puppets relate the Hans Christian Andersen fable of a little Chinese emperor.