Century Theatre

01 / The story of this place

Make time for these

The Century Theatre was built by the women of Detroit's Twentieth Century Club beside their Mission-style 1903 clubhouse, next door to the Gem Theatre that architect George D. Mason added for the club in 1927. Actor Danny Jacobs worked here in the early 2000s, part of the building's long life as a small performance space. When the Detroit Tigers built Comerica Park in the 1990s, the entire 5-million-pound Gem-Century complex stood in the way; in 1997 it was jacked onto wheels and rolled five blocks from its original site at 58 East Columbia to its current home at Madison and Brush streets, a move that set the Guinness World Record for the heaviest building ever relocated on wheels. Restored by developer Charles Forbes, the Gem and Century theatres today operate together as an event and wedding venue in downtown Detroit.

1. Built by the Twentieth Century Club beside its 1903 clubhouse
2. Adjoins the Gem Theatre, designed by George D. Mason in 1927
3. Moved five blocks in 1997 to make way for Comerica Park
4. Set the Guinness World Record for heaviest building moved on wheels
5. Today an event and wedding venue at Madison and Brush streets