San Antonio Theatres:
Now & Then
Now & Then
Past & Present
Double click on the Photo Albums to the right to see slide shows. The first album is in color. The second album is in black and white.
The current Majestic Theatre was the fifth in a long line of Majestic Theatres in San Antonio. The name was Mr. Hoblitzel's favorite. In every city he operated throughout Texas, he had a Majestic Theatre. And he had five in San Antonio. The first Majestic was located at 122 Alamo St. and was the Majestic Plaza Vaudeville from 1909. The second, at 226 N. St. Marys, from 1910 until 1914, when it was razed to make way for the Empire Theatre. The third was at 207/209 N. Main Av . from 1914 until 1929, when the name was changed to the State Theatre. During World War I, Hoblitzel had a Majestic Theatre at 9th and Broadway to entertain the troops. It operated in 1918 and 1919.
Finally in the summer of 1929 the current Majestic opened its doors. Vaudeville acts played on the stage in the thirties and many well known actors and actresses came to perform. Motion Pictures became the mainstay in the late thirties and early forties.
The theatre closed its doors in 1974. It sat dormant for many years and then in the 1980's the people of San Antonio raised the money to bring the theatre back to original state.
This theatre is the third and final atmospheric theatre in San Antonio. A person can sit back in his seat and enjoy artificial clouds floating across the ceiling and watch twinkling stars.
Check out the history at the Majestic/Empire website:
Majestic/EmpireHistoryInterstate Theatre Circuit Collection
Harry Ranson Center/University of Texas at Austin
Tom Battersby of Battersby Ornamental worked on restoring the lady in the picture below.
