On December 26, 1927, the doors opened on what would become one of the grandest movie palaces in the American South. The Alabama Theatre at 1817 Third Avenue North in Birmingham was built by the Paramount-Publix Corporation as its flagship southeastern showcase, designed by Chicago architects Anker Sveere Graven and Arthur Guy Mayger. Construction of the concrete-and-steel structure took only eight and a half months and cost approximately $1.5 million. The theatre seats approximately 2,176 and was the first public building in Alabama to have air conditioning. Its interior features ornate plasterwork, gilded details, and a Mission/Spanish Revival facade. The original Wurlitzer pipe organ, affectionately nicknamed Big Bertha, remains a centrepiece; the Alabama Chapter of the American Theatre Organ Society has maintained it since the 1970s. It was the campaign to save that organ that ultimately rescued the entire building from demolition. In 1987, after the previous owners declared bankruptcy, Birmingham Landmarks, Inc. was formed as a nonprofit to purchase and operate the theatre. A full restoration in 1998-99 cleaned and replaced gold leaf, repainted ornamental surfaces, and installed new seats, carpet, and drapery. The theatre was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979 and designated the official state historic theatre of Alabama in 1993. Today the Alabama draws as many as 400,000 visitors annually for Broadway touring shows, ballet, opera, concerts, comedians, classic film screenings, and private events. A ballroom adjacent to the main auditorium was opened in 2009, expanding the facility's capacity for galas and receptions. The Alabama anchors Birmingham's historic Theater District on Third Avenue North, a stretch that once held half a dozen movie palaces and remains a focal point of the city's cultural identity.

Type: Theater / Concert Hall

Address: 1817 Third Avenue North, Birmingham, AL, United States, 35203

Website: https://alabamatheatre.com/

Capacity: 2176

Opening Date: 26/12/1927