The historic Majestic Theater in Gettysburg recently played host to the world premiere screening of the movie A Gettysburg Christmas. It’s also the place to see ongoing stage performances of A Christmas Carol every year. So, as you can see the Majestic is most certainly a versatile venue within the Gettysburg community. While it may not be one of the many Civil War-era buildings gracing the town, it nevertheless has its own impressive, antiquated backstory worth getting to know more about. Therefore, in this Flashback Friday I’m sharing just that—the overall history and enduring legacy of Gettysburg’s Majestic Theater.
The Early Years
Plans for what was to become the Majestic Theater were initially designed by famed architect William H. Lee of Philadelphia. But it was Gettysburg Hotel manager (and Gettysburg College alumnus) Henry Scarf, who went on to construct the actual theater as an annex to the existing hotel. The hotel’s adjoining theater was built on the north side and comprised a gymnasium, a 1,200-seat vaudeville stage theater, and a movie theater (silent back in the day).
On November 14, 1925, the Majestic Theater opened to the public with a premiere of Cecil B. DeMille’s The Road to Yesterday. In no time at all it would go on to become the largest vaudeville and silent movie theater in south-central Pennsylvania. It was a favored hangout spot for residents throughout Adams County to flock to and watch all the Hollywood greats and even win free prizes on Bank Night during the Great Depression years.
From Golden Age to Mid-Century Chic
The Majestic’s appeal remained the height of fashion as the decades progressed. The theater even continued to modernize with all the new and emerging technologies of the day—forever keeping up with the times.
Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, the Majestic even became a favorite go-to of President Dwight D. Eisenhower and First Lady Mamie Eisenhower. They were, after all, locals to the area living on a family farm that was relatively close by. The theater’s adjoining ballroom/gymnasium even found frequent use by the White House Press Corps for news conferences.
Stoking Change
In 1983, a massive fire broke out and severely destroyed the Gettysburg Hotel, which had been converted to low-income housing. The connecting Majestic Theater did survive the majority of destruction. However, it was impacted by extreme water damage. Fortunately, all the needed repairs were easily implemented, and by 1984 the Majestic Theater reopened to the public, having been converted into a triplex cinema.
A Revolutionary Restoration and Grand Reopening
While the Majestic still thrived as a triplex, its former glory and authenticity were sadly lost for a time. That was until 1988 when Gettysburg College purchased the existing hotel site and its adjoining Majestic Theater. The goal was to reimplement and restore both structures to their original states.
In 1991 the Gettysburg Hotel was reopened. Things took a little longer for a massive overhaul of the Majestic, though. This resulted in the launching of a major $16.5 million restoration project in 2004, recreating all the original historic touches from its former Colonial Revival style to the stained-glass chandeliers, drapes, carpeting, and more. At long last, though, the Majestic reopened on November 14, 2005—80 years to the day of its original grand opening.
The Majestic Today
The stately Majestic Theater of today features an expansive stage, two cinema theaters with screens and stadium seating, a professional production facility, an art gallery, and even a resident café. Throughout the year it continues to play host to a vast range of live shows and stage performances, as well as independent and trending modern movies, cinematic classic re-airings, foreign films, and more.
There’s always something happening onsite at the Majestic Theater. Whether it be a jolly Christmas show or a playback of a beloved Hollywood classic, the Majestic Theater is a great place to experience a most thrilling timeless outing.
The Majestic Theater is located at 25 Carlisle Street, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania 17325. To learn more about showtimes, tickets, scheduled calendar events, and all other general information, visit the main website at www.gettysburgmajestic.org.