What should a theatre be like to call it magical and majestic? Probably, each of us has a unique picture. But the residents of San Antonio will draw you a very specific picture. Majestic & Empire Theatres is the oldest and largest theatre in the city. Locals are very proud of this building. They also call it the most atmospheric. It seats 2264 people. Plays, musicals, light shows, closed film screenings are holding here. 

The opening of the theatre on June 14, 1929, symbolized the development of the city. That is how San Antonio looked like at that time. Residents considered the opening month a time of prosperity. Only Atlanta and Fox Theatre were larger than Majestic. For many years, it remained the largest theatre in Texas and the second-largest cinema in the United States. Besides, it was the first theatre in the state equipped with air-conditioning, so it was the main attraction of the South of the 1920s. The advertisement was speaking about an acre of cool, comfortable chairs. Snow-covered letters of the cinema’s name were enhancing this effect. Many society women even put on fur coats at the June opening.

The theatre "decoration" boasts: a big cast-iron canopy, a vertical sign of 24 meters high, a one-story lobby, looking like a cave, with copper lanterns, frescoes on the ceiling, and an aquarium with tropical fish.

In the auditorium of the theatre "settled" stuffed birds, located on the balconies and under the ceiling, copies of famous Greek, Roman and Renaissance sculptures, as well as specially treated cypress trees brought from Spain. The blue ceiling of the “cloudy landscape” masked the inner dome. It looked like the evening sky because of a cloud projector and small light bulbs imitating stars. The bulbs are arranged according to the location of real stars on the night of the theatre opening.

Today, people mount musicals, such as The Tale of Aladdin or various satirical allusions to medieval mysteries, on the main stage. The performances are very trendy among locals and guests. If you want to visit it, you need to buy tickets in advance on the theatre’s website.