The Fabulous Fox Theatre opened on January 31, 1929, as one of the crown jewel movie palaces built by film mogul William Fox, designed by architect C. Howard Crane in an ornate “Siamese Byzantine” style that blends Asian, Egyptian, Moorish, and Babylonian decorative motifs. Sitting at 527 N. Grand Boulevard in St. Louis, Missouri, it was among the largest and most lavish theaters in the country when it debuted, built to showcase Fox Film Corporation pictures alongside live stage shows.
After nearly 50 years as a beloved movie and entertainment palace, the Fox closed in 1978. It was rescued from potential demolition when purchased by the Arnold family in 1981, who poured roughly $3 million into a painstaking restoration before reopening it in September 1982 with the musical Barnum. Today it operates as one of the Midwest’s premier live entertainment venues, hosting touring concerts, Broadway productions, and comedy acts.
Stats at a Glance
- Location: 527 N. Grand Blvd., St. Louis, Missouri
- Type: Restored movie palace / performing arts venue
- Opened: January 31, 1929
- Architect: C. Howard Crane
- Capacity: About 4,192 seats (plus 234 in the private Fox Club)
- Famous for: Chuck Berry’s 60th birthday concert (1986) with Keith Richards as musical director
- Historic Status: Listed on the National Register of Historic Places (1976); St. Louis Landmark
A Movie Palace Reborn as a Concert Hall
When it opened in 1929, the Fox was built to dazzle: gilded plasterwork, sweeping staircases, and a riot of Asian and Middle Eastern-inspired ornamentation designed to make moviegoing feel like an event. After closing in 1978, the building’s fate was uncertain until local preservationists and investors stepped in, restoring the theater’s original splendor and reopening it in 1982 as a live entertainment venue rather than a movie house.
That transition preserved one of the country’s few surviving grand movie palaces while giving St. Louis a mid-sized concert hall with acoustics and atmosphere that modern arenas can’t replicate.
Landmark Performances and Pop Culture Moments
The Fox has hosted a wide range of milestone shows, most famously Chuck Berry’s star-studded 60th birthday concert in 1986, later released as the concert film Hail! Hail! Rock ‘n’ Roll. It has also served as a stop for national Broadway tours, including the final performance of the third national touring production of Les Misérables in 2006, and was used as a filming location for the 1981 film Escape from New York.
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Fabulous Fox Theatre FAQs
Is the Fabulous Fox Theatre the same as the Fox Theatre in Atlanta or Detroit?
No. The Fabulous Fox Theatre is a separate, independent venue in St. Louis, Missouri. It shares its name and roughly the same 1929 construction era with sister Fox theaters in Atlanta and Detroit, all originally part of William Fox’s chain, but each operates independently today.
How many people does the Fabulous Fox Theatre hold?
The theater seats about 4,192 guests in the main house, plus an additional 234 seats in the private Fox Club, down slightly from its original 1929 capacity of roughly 5,060.
Why did the Fabulous Fox Theatre close in 1978?
Like many grand movie palaces, the Fox struggled financially as audiences shifted to multiplex cinemas and suburban entertainment options, leading to its closure in 1978 before a private restoration brought it back in 1982.
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Photo: Paul Sableman / CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.