The Majestic Theater was a movie theater on Maynard Street

Constructed inside a former roller skating rink, the "Maj" was Ann Arbor's leading movie palace until the Michigan opened in 1928. Declared unsafe and condemned in 1942, it stood empty until it was demolished in 1948. In 1955 the Maynard Street parking structure was built on its site. (Wystan Stevens)

Photo

http://www.flickr.com/photos/70251312@N00/2425082933/

More information

• Cinema's First Century: The rise, fall, and revival of Ann Arbor’s downtown theaters September 2003.

The Majestic was built by lumberyard owner Charles Sauer, who converted an indoor roller skating rink into a huge theater--1,100 seats--complete with stage, dressing rooms, balcony, box seats, ladies’ waiting room, confectionery, and manager’s office. It opened September 19, 1907, with The Girl of the Golden West, a live musical about the 1849 gold rush. The Majestic showed movies from the beginning, but vaudeville acts were its main draw--especially after 1908, when the former Athens Theater, remodeled and reopened as the Whitney, reclaimed its position as the preferred place for prime stage shows.

• The Majestic in 1930, Ann Arbor District Library