Paramount Theatre (Atlanta)
The Paramount Theatre in downtown Atlanta was originally called the Howard Theatre. It opened in December 1920 at 169 Peachtree Street NE. Designed by Philip T. Shutze of the firm Hentz, Reid & Adler in Italian Renaissance style, the building cost about $1 million to construct and could seat 2,700 people, making it the second largest movie theater in the world at the time.
The theater helped spark Atlanta’s “Broadway of the South” area along Peachtree Street, near Loew’s Grand Theatre. It hosted both movies and live performances, including nationally renowned orchestras. The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra performed there during its inaugural season in 1923, and Elvis Presley gave ten shows in June 1956. Other notable events included appearances by Clara Kimball Young in 1921 and a memorial service for President Warren G. Harding in 1923.
In 1929 the Howard Theatre was renamed the Paramount Theatre. The following year Paramount Interests announced a $100,000 renovation. Over the decades, it remained a major venue for film and live events, but by the 1950s rising competition from suburban cinemas and television contributed to its decline.
The Paramount was demolished in 1960 and replaced by a 12-story building. The theater’s interior featured an open lobby with a grand marble staircase and a stage capable of hosting both motion pictures and live performances, with seating designed to offer unobstructed views for the audience.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 00:59 (CET).