Moore Theatre, Historic theater in downtown Seattle, United States.
Moore Theatre is an 1,800-seat performing arts venue at the corner of 2nd Avenue and Virginia Street in downtown Seattle, two blocks from Pike Place Market. Its reinforced concrete frame is faced with white ceramic tile and terra-cotta, mixing Byzantine and Italianate elements; the exterior stays plain compared with the extravagant interior. A steel girder spans the house to carry the balcony without support columns.
Built for developer James A. Moore and designed by E. W. Houghton, the theatre opened in December 1907, timed for the Alaska–Yukon–Pacific Exposition, which was postponed to 1909. John Cort ran it initially. In 1975 it became the Moore Egyptian, and the Seattle International Film Festival was founded there in 1976. It joined the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.
The theater brings people together for live music, dance, theater, and comedy shows throughout the year. It remains a gathering place where visitors experience entertainment in a setting full of handcrafted details and architectural care.
The venue sits in downtown Seattle close to restaurants, hotels, and transit options, making it convenient to reach and explore the surrounding area. Arrive early if you want to walk around the lobby and admire the decorative details before performances begin.
The upper balcony kept its own staircase just inside the front door, and the separate "colored entrance" used by Black patrons can still be seen around the corner from the main entrance. The house originally seated 2,436, one of the largest capacities in the United States at the time.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 93,922 contributors worldwide.
