Alhambra Theatorium (also known as ''The Alhambra Theater'') is a historic movie theater in the

Haynies Corner Arts District The Haynie's Corner Arts District is a small area in Evansville's south-central side, adjacent to Downtown Evansville Downtown Evansville is the central business district of Evansville, Indiana. The boundaries of downtown Evansville have changed ...

Evansville, Indiana Evansville is a city in, and the county seat of, Vanderburgh County, Indiana, United States. The population was 118,414 at the 2020 census, making it the state's third-most populous city after Indianapolis and Fort Wayne, the largest city in ...

. It was designed by Frank J. Schlotter and opened on September 27, 1913, as a movie theater. The Alhambra was one of many influenced by the

Alhambra Palace The Alhambra (, ; ar, الْحَمْرَاء, Al-Ḥamrāʾ, , ) is a palace and fortress complex located in Granada, Andalusia, Spain. It is one of the most famous monuments of Islamic architecture and one of the best-preserved palaces of the ...

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

. Although Alhambra theatres opened all over the world, only a traditional playhouse built in New York in 1905 predates Evansville's in the United States. The theatre cost $18,000 to build and was one of the largest movie theatres in Evansville at the time. It included a cigar shop and a confectionery, and spurred new business in the area now designated as the

. The theater ceased operation in 1956. The Alhambra has been renovated a few times in the past 100 years and is in the process of being restored. It was placed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

in 1979.

References

{{National Register of Historic Places National Register of Historic Places in Evansville, Indiana Buildings and structures in Evansville, Indiana Cinemas and movie theaters in Indiana Theatres on the National Register of Historic Places in Indiana