State Theatre
406 S. Burdick Street,
Kalamazoo,
MI
49007
406 S. Burdick Street,
Kalamazoo,
MI
49007
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Related Websites
Kalamazoo State Theatre (Official)
Additional Info
Previously operated by: W.S. Butterfield Theaters Inc.
Architects: John Adolph Emil Eberson
Functions: Concerts
Styles: Atmospheric, Spanish Colonial
Phone Numbers:
Box Office:
616.345.6500
Nearby Theaters
This Atmospheric style movie palace is now the home of performing arts and live concerts. The State Theatre was opened by the Butterfield Theatres chain on July 14, 1927 with Sally 0'Neil in “Frisco Sally Levy” and vaudeville on the stage. It is equipped with a Barton 3 manual 14 ranks organ.
It was renovated in 1964, and some of the interior decorations were removed. Butterfield Theatres closed the State Theatre in 1982. Taken over by the Hinman Company in 1985, the interior was restored to its original condition.
On December 3, 2021 it was added to the list of the National Register of Historic Places.
Contributed by
Ross Melnick
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Recent comments (view all 41 comments)
Oh, yeah… PS…
The building the theatre is in is pretty huge, so there are other companies or offices that use office spaces upstairs. So companies like Case Management aren’t actually part of the State Theatre, they’re just located above it. The State Theatre’s just the State Theatre!
Sarahbauman… sorry to move us off topic for a post… would you be so kind as to contact me regarding your theater. I’m working on an article about Ebersons Atmospheric designs and would enjoy being able to ask a few questions. Thank you.
Tim
“When the State Theatre opened on the corner of S. Burdick and Lovell Streets in July 1927, it brought the "atmospheric” movie palace experience to Kalamazoo.“ All towns should be so lucky to have an "atmospheric” movie palace experience brought to their hometown!
I remember going to see the Butthole Surfers there in the 90s and people destroyed one of the statues down towards the stage. I look back at that and become really angry at the needless destruction of one of Kalamazoo’s most historic buildings under such stupid circumstances.
Haha – of course you get a picture of our marquee the day the wind knocked the letter N off… “REO TICKETS ON SALE OW” It wasn’t even like that for very long. Sneaky, sneaky. You probably noticed the bit of white paneling behind the letters that’s caved in a bit. That’s getting fixed, thankfully.
Frank Caliendo is the guy that does the John Madden impressions on the football pregame show.
Here is a photo taken in 2000:
http://tinyurl.com/7eoqfa
Colonel Butterfield’s first name was Walter, not William which somehow has taken on a life of its own.
Full history link below.
https://www.kazoostate.com/about/history/?fbclid=IwAR1b9wVXcjSZY-veZI7iN49sXzZdYvxl6V9cT4N7jFCKtBHyzZIo2uFj8Q8
Grand opening ad posted.