Historic movie palaces / Lower Woodward / Downtown
Princess Theatre
Closed – archive entry · 1908–1922
A little Woodward nickelodeon from 1908 where a nickel bought films and illustrated songs from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m., in a room aimed at ladies and children, under a sign promising nothing nicer anywhere.
Quick facts
- Opened
- 1908
- Closed
- 1922
- Seats
- 316 (Historic Detroit; Cinema Treasures says 350)
02 / The story of this place
Make time for these
The Princess opened in mid-April 1908 in an 1870s commercial building on Woodward between Congress and Larned, replacing an earlier penny arcade called The Exhibit. Its sign promised nothing nicer anywhere, and for a nickel patrons could watch films and illustrated songs from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. in a 316-seat room aimed at ladies and children. In January 1914 a quick projectionist put out a film fire before the audience noticed. The theatre closed around 1922. The building later housed restaurants, a 1942 Ripley's Believe It or Not oddities show and, from 1956, Whaling's men's store, before it was torn down in the mid-1980s.
- Films and illustrated songs for a nickel
- 316 seats aimed at ladies and children
- A film fire put out before anyone noticed, 1914
Plan your visit
The Princess building was torn down in the mid-1980s. For a movie downtown today, see the working cinemas in our guide.
Cinemas nearby
Back to cinemas ↗
Multiplexes / Detroit
Bel Air Luxury Cinema
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IMAX & giant screens / Detroit
Michigan Science Center – Immersive Dome Theater
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Film festivals / Detroit
Detroit Black Film Festival
Independent films directed, written or produced by Black filmmakers, at a Detroit festival Lazar and Marshalle Favors started in 2020. The 7th edition in September 2026 screens 89 films from 30 countries, with the Charles H. Wright Museum as its hub.