Hiland Theatre

13843 Woodward Avenue,
Highland Park, MI 48203

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Additional Info

Architects: B. C. Wetzell

Previous Names: Highland Park Theatre, Paris Theatre, Hiland Art Theatre

Nearby Theaters

Highland Theatre

The Highland Park opened in 1915, designed by B.C. Wetzell, who also designed several other Detroit-area theaters, like the DeLuxe and Arcade. It could seat 1,600 and may have originally been a vaudeville house before switching to movies sometime later.

In 1967, it was renamed the Paris Theatre, and began screening adult fare. Three years later, it received another new name, the Hiland Art Theatre. Wayne County prosecutors fought to have the Hiland shut down during the 1980’s, claiming it was being used as a front for prostitution.

The old theater is now in an advanced state of disrepair.

Contributed by Bryan Krefft

Recent comments (view all 12 comments)

brian74
brian74 on June 21, 2004 at 5:22 am

Response to Neo:

Vincent Chinn was not killed at a theatre. The Fancy Pants was a Bar, located one block south of the Davison Expressway.

Why everyone thinks that he was killed at the Hiland Theatre is beyond me. Perhaps someone with mystic powers of mind control is working on the general populace making them beleive it was the Hiland Theatre.

pianoman
pianoman on June 7, 2006 at 1:54 am

Sorry, don’t try to go there. I tried it and it doesn’t work.

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on February 16, 2009 at 6:46 pm

This is from Boxoffice magazine in September 1963:

The Hiland Theater in Highland Park, operated for years by William London and the Brooks Brothers, Leonard and Bernard, has closed.

RickB
RickB on September 17, 2011 at 4:58 pm

Detroit Funk has visited the neighborhood, which has visibly deteriorated since the Google car last went through. Eighth picture from the top shows some of the theater.

DonFoshey
DonFoshey on November 15, 2011 at 8:43 am

The building seems to have undergone a serious fire. The roof is gone and the upper story is largely gutted, from what you can see from street level.

Paul Fortini
Paul Fortini on April 27, 2015 at 2:58 pm

If you look at the structure to the right of the theater in the above photo, you’ll see that it was Highland Applicances.

I believe that was the forerunner to the old Highland Superstores appliance chain.

rivest266
rivest266 on November 7, 2015 at 11:58 am

September 4th, 1963 grand opening ad as Paris in photo section.

Jake Bottero
Jake Bottero on May 22, 2021 at 5:59 am

The roof is falling in.

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