Bay City's premiere performance venue: a Mayan-influenced jewel box of a theatre offering outstanding audience intimacy with a wide range of program styles.
The State Theatre is a nonprofit arts organization located in downtown Bay City, Michigan. Built in 1908 during the booming lumbering era in Michigan, the State Theatre was then known as the Bijou. It was one of many vaudeville and burlesque houses in downtown Bay City.
The Bijou was renovated in 1930 by renowned architect C. Howard Crane, whose impressive body of work includes the twin Fox Theatres in Detroit, Michigan and St. Louis, Missouri.
Mr. Crane designed the State Theatre to resemble a Mayan Temple. The Theatre remains a magnificent example of art deco architecture. The Theatre exudes a warm and intimate character with seating on the main floor as well as a second floor balcony.
In the 1950's, the Theatre was purchased by the Butterfield chain of theatres. Everything inside the Theatre was painted over with "Butterfield brown." At one time, the Theatre was also a $1 movie theater.
The Theatre was in danger of being leveled in 2000. Since then, the Theatre has been restored and renovated to become a performance venue for a variety of acts, films, concerts, etc. The State Theatre is one of the only single movie houses to have a digital projection system. The latest renovation the Theatre is undertaking is a project to install a brand new lighting system, phase 1 of which has been recently completed.
Mission: a commitment to providing arts and films to enhance the cultural opportunities of all people throughout the Great Lakes Bay Region and beyond. Whether you are a patron or performer, your experience at the State Theatre of Bay City will be of the highest quality!
