How the City of Canton saved the Canton Theatre

The Canton Theatre’s Art Deco front is the building most visitors photograph on Main Street. It is still open because the City of Canton stepped in during the late 1990s. The City’s own account of how that happened is short, so this page sets it out in order and says what the record does not tell us.

What was the theatre before 1940?

The City says the building was used to show slides and silent movies as early as 1911. Note the wording: as early as, not built in. The 1983 National Register nomination for the downtown district dates the theatre to 1913, remodeled around 1940. We cannot reconcile the two, so we give both.

In the early 1920s the theatre changed owners and was renamed The Bonita. It was later expanded and renamed The Haven, and the City says it showed Canton’s first talking picture, the 1928 film Singing Fool with Al Jolson.

• The City says the Historic Canton Theatre was used to show slides and silent movies as early as 1911. City of Canton: Historic Canton Theatre
• In the early 1920s the theatre changed owners and was renamed The Bonita. It was later expanded and renamed The Haven, and showed Canton's first talking picture, the 1928 film Singing Fool with Al Jolson. City of Canton: Historic Canton Theatre

Where does the Art Deco front come from?

In the late 1930s the Martin-Thompson Theatre Company bought the building, named it the Canton Theatre and remodeled it in the Art Deco style. The grand opening was Sept. 30, 1940. The district’s National Register nomination calls the same building the Art Moderne Canton Theatre. The City’s label and the nomination’s label describe one front.

Our photo from 2015 shows that front: a tall blade sign spelling THEATRE, round porthole windows, a strip of glass block, and a marquee with CANTON in red letters over the doors.

• In the late 1930s the Martin-Thompson Theatre Company bought it, named it the Canton Theatre and remodeled it in the Art Deco style. The grand opening was September 30, 1940. City of Canton: Historic Canton Theatre

Why did the theatre need saving?

The City says the theatre’s popularity fell by the mid-1970s and the building sat idle for years. Explore Canton tells it a little differently, saying it fell into disrepair in the 1980s. Either way, Main Street had a dark theatre for a long stretch. In 1994 an individual bought it. The City’s page does not name the buyer.

How did the City get the theatre?

Through a trade. The City says it acquired the theatre in a land swap in 1997. It then deeded the building to the Downtown Development Authority, which could finance the restoration. The theatre reopened at a dedication on May 26, 2000, three years after the swap.

The City’s account leaves gaps. It does not give the cost of the restoration, say what land changed hands in the swap, or name who designed the work. We have not found those details in another source we trust, so we do not fill them in.

• The theatre declined by the mid-1970s and sat idle for years. The City acquired it in a land swap in 1997, it was deeded to the Downtown Development Authority to finance restoration, and it reopened on May 26, 2000. City of Canton: Historic Canton Theatre

Why does the deal matter to a visitor? Because the building is a City venue today. The City publishes the show schedule, and its Theatre Events and Facilities Director is the contact, at 770-704-0755.

Is the theatre part of a historic district?

Yes. The Canton Commercial Historic District, listed on the National Register in 1984, covers the south side of Main Street between Cannon Street and East Marietta Street, plus both sides of East Marietta between Main and Archer. Its nomination singles out two buildings: the marble-clad Bank of Canton of 1892 and the theatre. Our guide to Canton’s National Register places covers the district and four other listings.

What plays at the Canton Theatre now?

The City says the theatre hosts local and touring plays, music, comedy and film screenings. Its schedule runs into 2027. These are the next dates on it as of Oct. 18, 2026:

Two calendars cover the theatre, and they do not match. The City’s schedule goes straight from Nov. 14 to Nov. 21. Explore Canton’s theatre page shows fewer items, among them an open mic on Tuesday, Nov. 17 that the City does not list. We print the City’s list, since the City runs the venue. If you are going for the Nov. 17 open mic, confirm it first.

How do I buy tickets, and where do I park?

Explore Canton’s Buy Tickets link goes to the City’s online store at cantonga.governmentwindow.com. The City’s theatre page does not publish box office hours, a seat count or parking advice. Explore Canton says downtown parking is free, counts 73 street spaces on East Main Street, and lists the 102-space Canton Downtown Parking Deck at 345-303 W. Marietta St. Our parking page explains busy nights.

For dinner before a show, see our restaurants page. The full venue guide, with a history timeline, is on our Canton Theatre page, and the Main Street walk passes the front door.

Theatre questions

Written by the Downtown Canton Editorial Team. AI tools help us draft; people check every fact before it publishes.

Dates, rules and hours can change. The organisers have the final word: City of Canton