{"nrhp_refnum":"75001952","name":"Majestic Theatre","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"230 E. Houston St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"San Antonio","county":"Bexar County","state":"TX","lat":29.42628089200008,"lon":-98.49040018999995,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1975-10-01","is_nhl":true,"nhl_designated_date":"1993-04-19","areas_of_significance":["Commerce","Communications","Performing Arts","Art","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["national"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A theatre set within an 18-story office building at 214 East Houston Street, San Antonio, Texas, designed by architect John Eberson. Construction began in 1927 and the theatre opened on April 11, 1929.","why_significant":"The nomination calls it the most magnificent show palace in Texas and one of the most luxurious in the United States. It was Eberson's largest theatre and one of his last \"atmospheric\" designs, and it climaxed the careers of Eberson and promoter Karl Hoblitzelle. It is described as exceptionally intact and threatened by the demolition of similar theatres in Texas.","narrative":"Rising eighteen stories on East Houston Street in San Antonio, this office building contains one of the grandest movie and stage theatres in the United States. Architect John Eberson designed it, and construction ran from 1927 to 1929 for promoter Karl Hoblitzelle's Interstate circuit. The auditorium seats about 4,000 on the main floor and two balconies, and was built as an \"atmospheric\" theatre: Spanish-Moorish village scenes and a baroque castle line the walls, statuary, peacocks and parrots add detail, and a cloud machine and twinkling stars create an outdoor night sky. The exterior is plain by comparison, with a granite-columned portico and a mission-style parapet. It opened on April 11, 1929, and hosted vaudeville, big band stars and wartime performers before closing in December 1974. It was nominated as the most magnificent show palace in Texas, exceptionally intact, and at risk of demolition.","period_of_significance":"1900- (specific date 1929)","architect_builder":"John Eberson","architectural_style":"Spanish Colonial, Mission elements; auditorium basic design Moorish (atmospheric theatre)","criteria":[],"status_note":"The theatre closed in December 1974 and its future was uncertain, with demolition a threat; the office spaces in the building remained occupied.","vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:54:19.527869-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/57/9711/40971157/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_TX/75001952.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/75001952/28e769ed21-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/75001952/28e769ed21-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY 3.0","author":"Zereshk","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Majestic_(12).JPG\" rel=\"noopener\">Zereshk</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Majestic_(12).JPG"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/40971157","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Majestic_Theatre_(San_Antonio)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6737719"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/texas/bexar-county/majestic-theatre-75001952/"}