Landmark Theatre

362 S. Salina Street,
Syracuse, NY 13202

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Landmark Theatre - Syracus (Official)

Additional Info

Previously operated by: Loew's Inc.

Architects: Thomas White Lamb

Functions: Concerts, Performing Arts

Styles: Oriental

Previous Names: Loew's State Theater, Syracuse Area Landmark Theatre

Phone Numbers: Box Office: 315.475.7980
Manager: 315.475.7979

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News About This Theater

Loew's State Theatre exterior

One of architect Thomas Lamb’s most well known and classic theatres, the former Loew’s State Theatre is the grandest and only survivor of Syracuse’s era of the movie palaces. It opened on February 18, 1928 with William Haines & Joan Crawford in “West Point” and on the stage a John Murray Anderson production of “Milady’s Fan” with a cast of Broadway stars. it was equipped with a Wurlitzer 4 manual 20 ranks organ. In 1964 the organ was suddenly sold and removed from the building. A person in California had purchased it and it was later was housed in a pizza restaurant.

After delighting audiences for almost 50 years, the Loew’s State Theatre had fallen into disrepair and was experiencing poor attendance. To save and preserve it in 1977, a group of citizens formed the Syracuse Area Landmark Theatre, or SALT.

SALT saved Lamb’s classic work and the theatre is now a showcase for concerts and performing arts. Thanks to ongoing renovation, the Landmark Theatre is back to its original grandeur.

Recent comments (view all 32 comments)

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on June 18, 2009 at 11:41 pm

Here is a January 1973 ad from the Syracuse Herald Journal:
http://tinyurl.com/nulbab

Brad Smith
Brad Smith on April 24, 2010 at 12:38 pm

Click here for a photograph of the Loew’s State [Landmark] Theatre taken in 1930 by George Mann of the comedy dance team, Barto & Mann.

TLSLOEWS
TLSLOEWS on August 4, 2010 at 5:31 pm

Great photo Bran,another LOEWS STATE.

TLSLOEWS
TLSLOEWS on September 5, 2010 at 3:07 pm

The Theatre Hisorical Socity Reader book reports that this theatre is closed to the fall of 2011 for more renovations.Wedding and events will still be held in the lobby.

Syraflix
Syraflix on September 13, 2011 at 3:31 am

They’ve taken out the back wall of the theater to expand the backstage out over the storefronts in the back. The addition is in a postmodern style that doesn’t fit in with the classic architecture of the building. They’re hoping the expanded stage will attract more live events.

Greenpoint
Greenpoint on October 12, 2014 at 4:50 pm

I’m sitting in here now. What a beauty!!

DavidZornig
DavidZornig on April 18, 2020 at 1:16 pm

1963 “It’s A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World” trampoline promotion image added courtesy Dave Rogers.

GeorgeC
GeorgeC on April 20, 2021 at 11:23 pm

Don’t want to knock Landmark because they have done such a great job restoring and maintaining the interior of the former Loew’s State. But since taking control of the theater 45 years ago, why have they let the marquee fall into disrepair? At their web site, Landmark says the marquee is beyond repair after suffering through too many Syracuse winters.

Given its raged condition, it’s unlikely any regular maintenance had been scheduled over the years. It’s also unlikely there are structural or safety issues since the marquee hasn’t been removed.

It was operational when Landmark took control of the theater and remained in working condition until at least 1985. The photo with “North by Northwest” playing gives a good idea what the marquee looks like with all lights working.

Landmark may have decided there was no reason to maintain the current marquee because it was not part of the original construction. They’ve been trying to secure funds to install a replica of the original 1928 style marquee for many years.

But Loew’s removed the original 1928 marquee over 70 years ago and replaced it with the current one. Clearly the circuit that built the theater wanted a completely different style marquee when they replaced the original.

Which brings up an important question: Should theater restoration include designs that the original builder/exhibitor abandoned?

muviebuf
muviebuf on November 5, 2021 at 3:58 pm

You can’t make this stuff up.

https://www.pennlive.com/nation-world/2021/11/firefighters-rescue-naked-man-stuck-in-ny-theater-bathroom-wall-for-days.html

BTW … there is a picture of the new marquee in this article

Alan Bell
Alan Bell on October 2, 2023 at 12:25 pm

For its marquee work on the Landmark Theatre, Wagner Electric Sign Co. of Elyria, Ohio won third place in the “Best In-House Design and Fabrication, Illuminated” category in the 2023 Sign Contest sponsored by Signs of the Times.

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