Here she is… Kings Theatre (formerly known as Loew's Kings Theatre) in Brooklyn. I have known about this place for years and have always dreamt of seeing its interior. The venue originally opened as a “movie palace” (can we please bring back that term?) that did vaudeville theatre in 1929 and then closed down in 1977 so the theater sat empty for decades until a complete renovation was initiated in 2010. The theater reopened to the public on January 23, 2015 as a performing arts venue and she. is. MAJESTIC.
I found out that they offer historic tours of the building once in awhile, so I had no choice but to go. It’s a little bit of a trek to get to, but entirely worth it once you arrive.
Take a look at this lobby.
This is where you wait for the tour to begin and it’s breathtaking. The restoration cost 95 million dollars and it really does feel like you’re walking into the past.
It was one of the five “wonder theatres” and yes of course it’s now my mission to visit the remaining four that I haven’t.
The design of the theatre was heavily influenced by the Palace of Versailles as well as the Paris Opera House.
This (below) is from inside the ladies lounge area. BRING BACK DECADENT LADIES LOUNGE AREAS.
Are we kidding with this level of detail on the seating (below)? I want to meet and hug every person involved with this restoration. It’s pristine.
The area with all of the gold statues (below) was a designated area for any lost children, which I love. Not the idea of lost children, but the forethought of knowing that kids would get lost in a place this huge and having a specific, beautiful area to find them.
The tour guide I had, Peggy, was perfect. She knew every single detail about the space and wasn’t dull at all. You hear the words “historic tour” and your eyelids may get droopy, but I promise you she made it a wondrous afternoon.
They offer tours every so often and the next ones are on May 27th and June 20th, tickets are available over here. Can’t recommend it enough.