182 S Main St, Akron, OH — Visitor Guide & Things to Do Nearby

182 South Main Street in Akron is home to the Akron Civic Theatre, one of the most extraordinary buildings in Ohio and one of only five remaining atmospheric theatres designed by the legendary architect John Eberson in the United States.

The story of how it got here is almost as dramatic as the building itself. In 1919, dance hall owner L. Oscar Beck began construction on a grand project he called "The Hippodrome," envisioning a 3,000-seat theatre with thirty stores and restaurants lining an arcade. He got as far as building the lobby before the project went bankrupt in 1921. The half-finished lobby stood alone, its theatre end boarded up, for a full decade.

Then Marcus Loew's theatre chain stepped in and hired Eberson to complete the project. What he created is stunning. The auditorium is designed to feel like sitting in an open-air Moorish garden at night, with twinkling stars and drifting clouds travelling across the domed ceiling. The interior features Mediterranean decor, medieval-style carvings, authentic European antiques, and Italian alabaster sculptures. The lobby retains its original Moorish castle design.

The theatre opened as Loew's Akron in April 1929 and seats 3,000 people. It's been in continuous use since, surviving the ups and downs of downtown Akron's history.

If a Questo quest takes you past this building, look up. The exterior hints at the magic inside, but the real stories are in the details of its turbulent construction and the world Eberson created within.