Westcott Theater, Music venue in Westcott, Syracuse, United States.
The Westcott Theater is a 700-person cinema-style concert venue at 524 Westcott St in Syracuse's Westcott neighborhood. The former cinema's seats and screen were torn out during renovation and a small bar was installed, leaving a stage for live performances in a room built in 1919.
The building was constructed in 1919 as a cinema called the Harvard Theater and served as a movie house for many decades. New owners took over the space after 2007 and converted it into a music venue in 2008.
The Westcott Theater takes its name from Westcott Street and the surrounding Westcott neighborhood, whose residents and students made up its core audience after the 2007 reopening. Its bookings ranged across genres, with electronic music acts growing steadily in number from 2011 onward. In July and August 2020 the theater hosted two moe. concerts after Vernon Downs cancelled the band's drive-in shows.
The theater is located in a central area with nearby restaurants and hotels within walking distance. Visitors should know that the venue has limited parking and arriving by public transportation is recommended.
The Westcott Theater's special use permit was revoked unanimously by the Syracuse Common Council on September 28, 2026, after violent incidents including gunfire in and around the venue and insufficient security staffing. The revocation bars it from operating as an indoor entertainment venue, ending concerts at the 524 Westcott St site.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 92,629 contributors worldwide.