KALAMAZOO, Mich. — Kalamazoo State Theater announced Tuesday it will close the historic venue in November, but the owner hopes the closure will be temporary.

“We were truly faced with the inevitable. This is a truly important building; We did the best we could,” said Executive Director Stephanie Hinman.

Daren Bower

Hinman made the sad announcement that the theater would cease all operations on November 24th. The theater is trying to find a new organization to take over and reopen the iconic performance venue.

The theater was built in 1927 and was designed with an interior that feels like being in a Mediterranean courtyard at night.

Daren Bower

In 2021, the building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Hinman Company purchased the venue in 1985 to protect it from demolition and has operated it as an events space for the past 40 years, hosting concerts, comedy shows and community rentals.

Daren Bower

There is no time frame for finding a new owner, but Hinman hopes it will happen before the theater turns 100 in 2027.

“I really hope the building remains community-oriented; “It really takes work from the community to make this place work,” Hinman said.

“We’d love to reopen as quickly as possible, but it needs to be done right, and the ultimate goal for the theater is that we do it right, we get the right steward in, so we can do this for another 100 years,” said Kalamazoo State Theater Director of Marketing and Development Harry Phillips.

Daren Bower

The final show will take place on November 23. If you have tickets for an event after this date, you can get a refund from the place you purchased the tickets. The theater’s box office will remain open until December 5.

Watch the press conference at Tuesday’s announcement below:

Full press conference regarding temporary closure of Kalamazoo State Theater

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