The Michigan Theatre, the last and largest theatre built in downtown Jackson, opened April 30, 1930. It was built for the mainstream popular entertainment of the day — vaudeville and movies. For just pennies, the public was treated like royalty as it passed under a glittering marquee into a Hollywood Fantasyland. The building’s exotic Spanish style, lavish interior plasterwork, ornate polychrome terra cotta façade, carved walnut furniture, plush wool carpeting, heavy damask draperies, stained glass light fixtures, and oil paintings entertained the patrons as much as the attractions on the stage and screen. It was the first air conditioned building in downtown Jackson and offered a place to escape the summer heat. Many of our Jackson residents remember seeing their first movie in this theatre.
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