Murphy Art Centre
1043 Virginia Avenue,
Indianapolis,
IN
46203
1043 Virginia Avenue,
Indianapolis,
IN
46203
3 people
favorited this theater
Additional Info
Previously operated by: Universal Chain Theatrical Enterprises Inc.
Architects: Donald Graham
Functions: Art Gallery, Retail
Styles: Atmospheric, Neo-Classical, Spanish Colonial
Previous Names: Granada Theatre
Nearby Theaters
Opened on April 8, 1928, the Granada Theatre, in the heart of Indianapolis' Fountain Square neighborhood. It was built for the Universal Pictures chain.
It featured a facade of reddish-orange brick trimmed in cream-colored terra cotta in austere Neo-Classical style, with a trio of arched windows above the main entrance.
It was the first theater in Indianapolis to screen a foreign sound film, “Tierra Madre”, in 1932.
The Granada Theatre was closed as a movie house on March 11, 1951, and was taken over by the G.C. Murphy Company soon afterwards.
After the Murphy Company closed, the building sat vacant for a while before being acquired by a group of artisans in the 1990’s, who were seeking a place to set up their galleries after moving from the south side of the city.
Since then, the Murphy Art Centre, as the one-time theater is now called, has become a home for both art galleries and retail stores, a thriving example of urban reuse in a once dying area of Indianapolis.
Contributed by
Bryan Krefft
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Recent comments (view all 4 comments)
Check out http://www.fountainsquareindy.com/
This building is in the center of a historic area near downtown Indianapolis.
A film organization is moving into the former Granada Theater building now known as the Murphy Arts Center and will build a small screening roon within the facility: View link.
Historic Indianapolis article here
April 8th, 1928 grand opening ad in photo section as well as
http://indystar.newspapers.com/clip/3483072/granada_opening/
http://indystar.newspapers.com/clip/3483076/granada_opening/