Designed by Thomas W. Lamb in the spirit of France’s Palais de Versailles, the Palace Theatre is located at the base of the iconic LeVeque Tower. Construction of the nearly 3,000 seat theatre was personally supervised by vaudeville mogul Edward Albee, and it opened in 1926 as part of the Keith-Albee chain. Originally a vaudeville house, special attention was paid to the theatre’s acoustics, decorative appointments and the dressing room tower which was like a small hotel complete with a front desk for keys and mail.
In 1929, the Palace became the Radio Keith Orpheum or RKO until the 1970s. During the 30s, 40s and 50s, the Palace was the most active live show theatre in Columbus, hosting notable performers such as Duke Ellington, Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole, and Louis Armstrong.
Today, the Palace Theatre is still adorned with a magnificent chandelier, grand staircase, mural, a hall of autographed pictures, and a fountain, making it a top destination for an evening with the arts. The theater is owned and managed by the Columbus Association for the Performing Arts which also owns and manages downtown’s historic Ohio and Southern Theaters. They also manage the Capitol Theatre and three Studio Theatres in the Riffe Center for Government and the Arts, and the Lincoln Theatre in the King Lincoln District.
Across the street, you see
34 W Broad St
Columbus, Ohio 43215
Franklin County
Please note: The Greater Columbus Arts Council (Arts Council) does not own or manage any public art. For the purposes of this database many pieces were entered by the Arts Council while we continue to search for the appropriate owner/manager of the work and other information to complete the entry. The Arts Council has tried to gather all available information about the works in this database, however, we acknowledge there may be missing or inaccurate information. If you can help us correct any inaccuracies, or provide more complete information, we would be grateful. Please use “Something missing? Please send us a note” above.
Taking images of public art works and sharing your experiences is one of the most fun reasons to engage with public art. As a community, we care deeply about the artists who have contributed the artworks we enjoy every day. Please be sure to credit artists when you share your photos. If you have an interest in using public artwork present in this database for commercial purposes, please contact Jami Goldstein at the Greater Columbus Arts Council. Taking your own images of public artwork does not release you from the responsibility of artist credit and/or compensation.
This site is produced and managed by the Greater Columbus Arts Council and supported by the Ohio Arts Council and public art collections across the state. Contributors to the databases to date include collections held by the Arts Commission of Greater Toledo, City of Columbus, Columbus Metropolitan Library, Dublin Arts Council, City of Upper Arlington Cultural Arts Department, City of Kettering, Downtown Mansfield Inc., Franklin County Convention Facilities Authority, John Glenn Columbus International Airport, Licking County Foundation, Ohio Arts Council’s Percent for Art program, Short North Arts District and the City of Sandusky. The database was funded in part by a grant from the Ohio Arts Council. Research and development support is provided by Designing Local, OSA Technology Partners and Columbus artist Stephanie Rond. The Columbus Makes Art campaign is a citywide, collaborative marketing effort designed to highlight the incredible talent of central Ohio artists. The Greater Columbus Arts Council is supported by the City of Columbus and the Ohio Arts Council.
To support and advance the arts and cultural fabric of Columbus. www.gcac.org
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