PW Downtown Movie Palace Tours - Saturday Aug 15.

**Gistok** · August-13-09, 09:10 PM

Preservation Wayne presents...

Guided Walking Tours of

Detroitâ€™s Historic Theatre District

SATURDAY AUGUST 15, 2009

Order your tickets today!

This once-a-year tour is always a sell-out!

Tour includes box lunch at the Detroit Opera House.

Allow 4.5 hours for this tour, rain or shine.

Tickets: $40 per person [[includes lunch)

Reservations strongly recommended!

313.577.3559 or at www.preservationwayne.org

Tours leave every half hour

From 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

From the lobby of the Fillmore Theatre

[[Woodward Avenue, next to The Fox)

SEE THE INTERIORS OF 9 HISTORIC VENUES:

*Fox Theatre *Fillmore Theatre

*Music Hall *Detroit Opera House

*Gem Theatre *Former Michigan Theatre

*Century Theatre *Oriental Theatre lobby

*City Theatre
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Yes it's that time of year again... and this year we will be showing off the remains of the Oriental Theatre on West Adams, as well as the other current/former theatres.

This years attendees will have the pleasure of listening to John Lauter playing the massive 4/36 Wurlitzer Organ at the Fox Theatre during the tours.

And as usual [[my 10th year) I will be giving tours of the Fillmore [[State) Theatre.

Come one... come all... this is the longest and most complex tours of the Preservation Wayne tour year. We will also be pointing out other activity around downtown Detroit as the walking tour guides take you between venues.

Several of the tour times are already sold out, so call ahead to make your reservations.

**buildingsofdetroit** · August-13-09, 09:11 PM

Will be there, Gistok. Can't wait for you to learn me 'n' the missus.

**KarmicCurse** · August-14-09, 01:11 AM

Which times are still open?

**French777** · August-14-09, 05:50 AM

Sounds like an awesome 4 -5 hrs! Next year for sure Im doing this!

**DetroitScooter** · August-14-09, 09:16 AM

This has to be this weekend? This is a popular time of year for friends to visit! And for traffic... BTW, I'm late for the airport!

**Gistok** · August-14-09, 10:40 AM

KarmicCurse, you'll have to call the number, I don't know the sold out ones [[likely the middle time period tours).

DetroitScooter... August is the only month of the year that all the venues are available at the same time. There's usually always something going on at least one of the venues at other times of the month.

So you have friends visiting? Bring them along.... 2 years ago an acquaintance had company from Germany... so they all went for the tour.

Some of the highlights of the tour is to go places that are otherwise off-limits to the general public. 4 areas in particular come to mind....
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1) you get to go on stage at the Detroit Opera House [[largest stage in the midwest), see the activity rooms there, rehearsal hall and a true labarynth of hallways and support areas.

2) you get to go on stage, and behind the stage at the Fox [[while John Lauter is playing the massive 4/36 Wurlitzer from the slave console up in the balcony). There you will find "THE WALL"... a [[now plexiglass covered) space where performers at the Fox for decades have autographed their names and left anecdotes... truly a treasure of entertainment history.

3) at the former Oriental Theatre lobby, the Milner Hotel folks [[they own the occupied building) usually go all out with complimentary refreshments and staff in 1920's attire [[a flapper and usher). Just hoping the Mimosa's [[Champagne & Orange Juice) last until I get there....

4) the surviving magnificence of the former Michigan Theatre.... people are awestruck by the great hall of the MCS... well the former auditorium of the Michigan soars to 3 times the height of the MCS main hall. The 9 story former auditorium is arguably America's largest indoor ruin... and even in its' current condition, it gets people from all around the world that come by to visit this vast space.
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... and you may get to hobknob with some of Detroit's preservation hoi poloi... Preservation Wayne's energetic president Karen Nagel, Michael Hauser author [[or co-author) of the Arcadia books on J. L. Hudson's and Detroit's Downtown Movie Palaces, Rebecca Binno Savage - President of DAADS [[Detroit Area Art Deco Society) who is one of the walking tour guides, and possibly one of the DiChiera's [[I had a wonderful discussion with Karen Vanderkloot DiChiera - Detroit Opera House Director, 2 years ago over our box lunch at the DOH during the tour).

Since Detroit has one of the top collection of surviving movie palaces in America, this is the best tour of the year in Detroit....

**buildingsofdetroit** · August-14-09, 11:10 AM

Originally Posted by KarmicCurse

Which times are still open?

Preservation Wayne's 2009 Theatre tour has space available at the following times:

9:30
10:30
11:00
11:30

Join Us!!
--
Karen Nagher
Executive Director
knagher@preservationwayne.org
313-577-3559

**REL** · August-14-09, 08:55 PM

Bump... cannot wait for the tour! This will be my first year attending. Thanks, Preservation Wayne!

**KarmicCurse** · August-15-09, 01:19 AM

I've been 4 times before and recommend it highly. The reason I'm being so indecisive is because, well, I've been 4 times before. And it's $40 now.

Gistok, if I was to make a last minute decision and call that number on Saturday morning is someone there to answer? Should I just drive down to the State and take my chances? Thanks.

**Gistok** · August-15-09, 06:33 AM

Originally Posted by KarmicCurse

Gistok, if I was to make a last minute decision and call that number on Saturday morning is someone there to answer? Should I just drive down to the State and take my chances? Thanks.

Some folks may have to wait until the "next" tour... but I have yet to see anyone ever turned away disappointed [[but you didn't hear that from me)....

**danofcamden** · August-16-09, 06:40 AM

This was well worth the time and money. Great history,great guides, the views from the stages, it was a beautiful day. Thanks.

**Gistok** · August-16-09, 10:57 AM

Nice that you enjoyed it Danofcamden!

The day was quite toasty though. I was disappointed to see that there were no Mimosa's being served at the Oriental Theatre Lobby... but there's plenty of belt tightening going on, even in theatres, which explained why the Filmore folks didn't turn the air on at the Filmore.

I couldn't get to the Detroit Opera House from the Oriental, because of the Carribean Festival going down Woodward.... so I waited for a large group of festive dancers doing their Carribean dancing down the street... I Mambo'ed my way into the group

and slowly Mambo'ed across to the other side... it was not a pretty sight

[[glad no one got a photo op of that one). I felt like John Candy doing his SCTV "everybody Mambo" skit...

... the only thing missing was Jerry Seinfeld's "puffy shirt".

I was asking all the preservation experts at the event about the goings on at the United Artists... no one had a clue....

**Gsgeorge** · August-16-09, 05:16 PM

Did George Jackson attend?

**Fnemecek** · August-16-09, 07:29 PM

Originally Posted by Gsgeorge

Did George Jackson attend?

No, after bringing down both Tiger Stadium and the Lafayette Bldg. in under 6 months, he has too much bribe money too count.

Maybe next year. If he hasn't decided that one of those theaters need to come down.