The century-old Palace Theatre in downtown Los Angeles held tours this past weekend after the owners finished a $1 million restoration, reported the Los Angeles Times.
The theater, which opened in 1911, sits at 630 S. Broadway, about one block from the original western endpoint of Route 66 at Seventh and Broadway. The Delijani family owns four historic theaters in the downtown area.
The Times detailed how extensive the renovations had to be:
Leaks in the roof let water trickle in, causing severe damage throughout the building. It had become so humid inside that the paint was peeling. And coats of paint, layers of flooring and new fixtures added over the years, until the theater was closed in 1999, had lacquered over the original craftsmanship.
To reveal what had once been there, the renovation became something like detective work.
Sometimes it required incredible precision: A team had to examine an old photo with a microscope to spot the pattern on the wallpaper so they could re-create it; for the carpet, one person had to scrub off years of wear and dirt until the design was evident. Untangling a skein of electrical wiring from 1911 was certainly a tedious chore.
At other times, they had to be blunt objects, breaking through walls and floors to find the treasure underneath. “Hit it with a hammer and see what’s inside,” Kelsey said. They discovered the original tiled entryway in the lobby and wood panels in the gentlemen’s lounge. A bannister of concrete had a brass handrail inside.
The Palace isn’t hosting films or shows at this time. However, the theater is available for rental.
Any one interested in the theaters surrounding the original western terminus of Route 66 should check out the Los Angeles Conservancy and their walking tours, as well as their self-guided tour information on their website, laconservancy.org. Additionally, LAC hosts the annual Last Remaining Seats in which they screen classic films at some of the classic theaters downtown.