Paramount Theatre

The story

The theater opened on March 1, 1928, as the Seattle Theatre, with 3,000 seats. Chicago firm Rapp & Rapp designed it, and B. Marcus Priteca designed the adjoining apartments and offices. Its Wurlitzer pipe organ is still in its original installation, kept up by volunteers from the Puget Sound Theatre Organ Society.

In 1993 former Microsoft vice president Ida Cole bought the building. It closed for repairs in May 1994 and reopened as the Paramount on March 17, 1995. Nirvana's Halloween 1991 show here was filmed on 16 mm and later released as "Live at the Paramount."

Everything that was here

• 1928–present · still open

  Paramount TheatreTheater

  The Paramount opened on March 1, 1928, as the Seattle Theatre, and was the first U.S. venue with a convertible floor.

  See the map in 1929 →
• 1890–2003

  The Bon MarchéDepartment Store

  Seattle's 864,000-square-foot Art Deco landmark had its own ZIP code due to the massive volume of mail it received.

  See the map in 1891 →
• 1918–1992

  Frederick & Nelson Department StoreDepartment Store

  Doubters called it 'Frederick's Folly' for being built outside the retail core—it became Seattle's most beloved store for 74 years.

  See the map in 1919 →

Did you know?

Nearby history