The Mayan Theatre, located at 1040 South Hill Street in downtown Los Angeles, opened on August 15, 1927. It was the place where live shows of musical comedies, were held on stage. It opened with 1,491 seats, was at first a legitimate theatre, then it showed second run movies. In the 1940′s, the theatre was a burlesque house and it is rumored that in 1948 a young Marilyn Monroe appeared here.
Carved stone serpent heads, seven warrior figures in full head-dress (each representing the god of war, each used to light up after dark!)
The theatre became an adult porn theatre in the early 1970′s (some of the films were shot in the basement of the theatre) and around 1977 it was converted into a triple-screen theatre, still screening adult movies.
The auditorium now is a nightclub opened in February 1990 and renamed The Mayan.
Design artist Francisco Cornejo
Architects Morgan, Walls and Clements.
