Fox Theatre St Louis

How lucky we were to arrive in St Louis and drive down Grand Boulevard just as the sun was setting, the vintage streetlamps were glowing, and the breathtaking Fox Theatre neon sign was all aglow. Our eyes were exploding with neon joy.

The Fox Theatre, known locally as The Fabulous Fox, opened as a movie palace in 1929. It was, at the time, the second largest theatre in the United States, with 5060 seats. It was designed by C Howard Crane in a kind of regency Asian style known as “Siamese Byzantine”.

 For 50 years it showed movies, then moving with the times, also hosted radio shows, live shows and concerts, sadly, all as it slowly fell into disrepair, leading to its closure in 1978. It stood empty for a couple of years until it was purchased by Fox Associates in 1981 and underwent a yearlong restoration. It re-opened in 1982. Today it is split into the 4192-seat theatre and the 234 seat Fox Club.

From the outside, the building is ornate and beautiful. We didn't get to go inside (so please tell us if you do), but I believe they have a Wurlitzer Organ in the lobby, which we would have loved to have seen.

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Midwest USA No. 45 -last visited October 2023