Hippodrome Theatre at the France-Merrick Performing Arts Center

The Hippodrome Theatre is the last big movie palace remaining in downtown Baltimore.

It opened by Pearce & Scheck on November 23, 1914, with George Morgan in “The Iron Master” on the screen and 7-acts of vaudeville on the stage. The seating capacity was for 3,000 and it was equipped with a Moller 2 manual 17 ranks organ opened by organist Frederick Weaver. In the Fall of 1915 was taken over by Marcus Loew and featured Loew’s booking until 1924, when it switched to B.F. Keith in Fall of 1924.

In 1931, it got a major facelift and an impressive new marquee, in a remake that contributed to what were probably the theatre’s best years, the 1930’s. The theatre was remodeled in July 1941 to the plans of architect John J. Zink.

The theatre’s last live show closed in 1959. In 1962 it was taken over by Trans-Lux Theatres. On June 26, 1963, it held the Baltimore premiere of Elizabeth Taylor in “Cleopatra”. This brought about an unpleasant renovation that included the removal of the theatre’s side boxes and a reduction in the total seating capacity to 2,286-seats. Additionally, the entire auditorium was draped in rose colored silk, resembling the world’s biggest casket interior according to a News-American columnist of the day.

After stumbling through the 1970’s and 1980’s, the theatre finally closed by JF Theatres on August 19, 1990 with “Bruce Willis in "Die Harder” & Craig Sheffer in Clive Barker’s “Night Breed”. In the late-1990’s, the State of Maryland and the City of Baltimore launched an effort to restore the theatre as the keystone of renovations to the surrounding shopping district.

The theatre was restored by architectural firm Hardy Holzman Pfeiffer Associates and overseen by local architects Schamu Machowski Greco. Restored back to its original design, including the re-instatement of the side boxes, and incorporated – along with four other historic buildings – into the massive France-Merrick Performing Arts Center, the Hippodrome Theatre reopened on February 10, 2004 with a production of “The Producers”. The arts center, designed to spark a renaissance in Baltimore’s long-dormant Westside neighborhood, seats 2,286 and produces over 270 performances per year.

Recent comments (view all 58 comments)

TLSLOEWS on April 7, 2010 at 2:12 am

Nice old photo ken mc.

wewinnow on November 2, 2010 at 2:06 pm

It was 1950 or ‘51 when a few of us hooked school and went to the Hippodrome. I remember a big guy, a commedian, throwing himself off the stage into the aisle. Later, having breakfast across the street, he came in and was very loud and rude. Thinking it was Jackie Gleason.

Brad Smith on February 11, 2011 at 1:32 am

This photograph of the Hippodrome Theatre was taken in 1932 by George Mann of the comedy dance team, Barto and Mann.

TLSLOEWS on March 28, 2011 at 12:20 am

Thanks again Brad, like the Paramount in the background.

DavidZornig on April 3, 2015 at 2:36 am

Undated photo added, courtesy of Steve Mettee.

rivest266 on January 29, 2017 at 11:39 pm

A more readable version of the Hippodrome grand opening ad

Found on Newspapers.com

DavidZornig on October 20, 2017 at 2:59 pm

1937 image & copy added, credit Captain Bijou Facebook page.

Full page motion picture trade magazine8qd for the first Columbia Pictures' serial, JUNGLE MENACE (1937), starring Frank Buck.

The first three Columbia serials were not produced by the studio, but were made independently by the Weiss Brothers and released by Columbia. The studio established its own serial unit in 1938

DavidZornig on September 30, 2018 at 2:26 am

1936 photo & description added credit Barbara Cohen Azzinaro.

“While sadly I never got to meet him, my late grandfather was the band director at The Hippodrome until 1939 (pictured at the front of the musicians, with his hands crossed), co-founded the Baltimore Symphony, and co-wrote the Baltimore Colts Fight Song.”

50sSNIPES on December 11, 2024 at 2:37 am

Later operated by JF Theatres, and was last operated by Loews under the name “Loews Hippodrome”.

50sSNIPES on December 11, 2024 at 10:24 pm

The Hippodrome actually operated under two Loews operations, Loews, Inc. and Loews.