Byrd Theatre
2908 W. Cary Street,
Richmond,
VA
23221
2908 W. Cary Street,
Richmond,
VA
23221
34 people
favorited this theater
The Byrd Theatre, named after William Byrd, the founder of Richmond, is one of Virginia’s finest cinema treasures.
The 1,400-seat theater, the first in Virginia to be equipped with a sound system, opened to great fanfare on December 24, 1928. The first audiences paid 50 cents for evening shows and 25 cents for matinees. Children were admitted for only 10 cents.
The Byrd’s creators spared no expense in creating the theater. Among its many features: mythically-inspired murals, imported Greek and Italian marble, spectacular crystal chandeliers, hand-sewn velvet drapes, fountains, a central vacuum system, and its own Wurlitzer (which is still in use and plays every Saturday night).
Another interesting apsect of the Byrd Theatre is that it contains a natural underground spring in its basement. Water can be pumped from this spring for use by the building’s air conditioning system.
In 1978, the theater was designated a state landmark. And the following year, it was named a National Historic Landmark.
What may be the most remarkable thing about the Byrd Theatre is that the theater has somehow survived the past seventy years largely unaltered—in appearance and function. It still shows movies to this day.
Contributed by
Gary Cowardin (Byrd Engineer), Vmad
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Recent comments (view all 76 comments)
Spoke with a few WW II vetrans, about 10 years ago and they chatted about with Gone with the Wind (1939) and other classics where you showed up to see the first show and had to wait till the second show. They said prior and during WW II, the move closed for the summer too hot and no AC. I moved away form Richmond but have gone back to hear the organ/
By the early ‘30s EVERY cinema in Richmond had AC, The Mosque (now Landmark) didn’t get AC till the late 60s. The Byrd had AC from the first day.
For it’s worth, GWTW did not open at the Byrd, being a MGM pic it open at the Loews which also had had AC from the first day in 1928.
The conversion to digital has been completed.
I have recently added some digital photos of the Byrd interior that shows the stunning interior after EIGHTY FIVE YEARS! Unrestored and still beautiful! Enjoy
cmastersin, thanks for the great pictures of this great theater. I enjoyed talking to you after the Cameron Carpenter concert, and thanks for mentioning your pictures. You asked about The Senator. Here is a link from today’s Baltimore Sun. http://galleries.baltimoresun.com/gallery/bal-artslife-senator-pg
The Theatre Historical Society of America will be visiting here on Wednesday, June 24th, 2015.
About 16 or 17 years ago I was on business in Richmond and got to watch a few movies from the projection booth. That was awesome. They still had two carbon arc projectors and the most amazing electric panel for all the house lights and such. I could swear they still had some knife switches on that panel.
I should have checked the other photos first. They have a picture of the panel, worth checking out.
Edgar Allan Poe festival coming.
www.dailyprogress.com/entertainment/movies/new-poe-film-festival-set-for-byrd-theatre-this-fall/article_7b178c44-5820-11e6-9d29-47dd1775d61e
Facebook link to a photo of the organ at the Byrd Theatre.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10206820638174444&set=gm.365241160267034&type=3&theater&ifg=1