Nowadays, going to the movies isn’t a huge deal. Sure, many of us love a visit to the cinema, but it’s a fairly regular occurrence for most families and isn’t something that’s likely to be particularly noteworthy. A century ago, that just wasn’t the case. Visiting the theater was a rare treat, and you can see this even today in the opulence of old theaters. Historic theaters in Connecticut like The Bijou are practically works of art in their own right, with intricate architectural details and a magnificence that you simply don’t see in today’s cookie-cutter chain theaters. While some of these theaters, like The Bijou, are still open today, many others have (sadly) been lost to time or razed down. One piece of history that’s still standing, but has been abandoned for decades, is the elegant Palace and Majestic Theater complex in downtown Bridgeport. Read on to discover the secrets of this famous abandoned theater in Bridgeport, CT.

Every few years, you'll hear about developers wanting to purchase the buildings where these theaters stand, either to restore them or to build something in their place, but as of now, they remain vacant.
Garcicar/Wikimedia Commons
The Palace and the Majestic are actually two separate theaters, but they're within the same building and often referred to as a singular unit. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.
Jonathan Haeber/Flickr
They were built in 1922 and designed by famed architect Thomas W. Lamb, who worked on a number of notable theaters all over the country in this same time period.
Magicpiano/Wikimedia Commons

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The building has been abandoned for more than 50 years now, but the interior is largely intact. You can still see how magnificent these theaters once were.
Flippa DaRippa/Google Reviews
There are even treasures like old signs and an old film projector inside!
Jonathan Haeber/Flickr
Interestingly enough, the property has even more history than most theaters of the time period.
Flippa DaRippa/Google Reviews
Notorious gangster Dutch Schultz lived in the hotel that was within the same building as the theaters. It's said that during his stay in Bridgeport, he ran a bootlegging ring out of his hotel room.

Please note that the Palace and Majestic Theaters in Bridgeport, CT are not typically open for tours.

Have you ever seen this abandoned theater in Bridgeport, CT? It’s remarkable how intact the interior is after all these years!

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Palace & Majestic Theaters, 1315 Main St, Bridgeport, CT 06604, USA