Vitascope Hall: America’s First Movie Theater

“AMERICA’S FIRST MOVIE THEATER

A landmark on Canal Street, New Orleans

On July 26, 1896, the first fixed-seating movie theater in the United States opened at 623 Canal Street in New Orleans.  Admission to the 400-seat theater—basically a showroom fitted with a projector and filled with chairs and used church pews—was 10 cents. For an additional dime, patrons were afforded a glimpse behind the curtain to see the innovative Edison Vitascope projector that converted still, black and white photos into moving images up to a minute long.

Now, over a century later, The Historic Vitascope Hall has finally been commemorated with an historic marker that celebrates the location where American theatre-goers got their first glimpses of the technology that added motion to pictures.

For more than 20 years, installation of the marker has been a priority of Ed and Susan Poole, internationally known film historians and archivists. The couple’s original application for the installation was submitted in 1996, to coincide with the 100th Anniversary of Vitascope Hall. However, theirs was not the first request for such; in their research, the couple discovered a 1912 article in The Times-Picayune calling for an historic marker. They were eager to bring that vision to fruition.” - New Orleans Entertainment Coalition

To read the full article, click here.