Happy anniversary
Wayne theater marks 80 years
The State Wayne Theater is celebrating 80 years of serving audiences and acting as a beacon in the Wayne community.
Located at the corner of Michigan Avenue and Newberry Street, the theater first opened in 1946. Today, owners say preserving its historic charm has helped usher in new audiences.
"I think it’s about consistency. It’s about the history of what this is," Cory Jacobson, president of Phoenix Theatres, which took over the State Wayne Theater in 2012 said.
The State Theater was first operated by the Shafer family in 1946 for Wayne Amusements.
The theater was originally a single screen facility, later carved in four screens, when National Amusements operated the facility.
The City of Wayne began managing the historic 1,600 seat building in early 1990 after the theater had been closed and dark for many years, offic
ials said. The city added screens and seats but did not change the retro look of the exterior, including the giant lighted marquee.
Phoenix followed that example in preserving the historic image of the building while adding heated, reclining seats and a digital cinema experience to the building.
"We want you to drive by the theater today in 2026 and have it look exactly like it did in 1946," Jacobson said.
Officials said the 80-year-old building continues to attract audiences and about 100,000 tickets are now sold annually at the historic site.
Phoenix Theatres began showing first-run movies at the State Wayne in 2015, officials said.
