Opening on April 21, 1921, The Majestic Theater began as a vaudeville theater. Built by entertainment entrepreneur Karl Hoblitzelle and designed in the Renaissance Revival style by famed architect John Eberson. The Majestic Theater belonged to Hoblitzelle’s Interstate Amusement company and was established as a place for premium entertainment. In its early years, The Majestic Theater presented celebrity acts including Mae West, Harry Houdini, Duke Ellington, Cab Calloway, Jack Benny, Bob Hope, Ginger Rogers and more.

By the 1930s, The Majestic Theater began presenting movies and began a run of hosting major film premieres featuring major movie stars. Throughout the Golden Age of Movies, The Majestic Theater and Dallas’s Theater Row on Elm Street entertained the public as a centerpiece of entertainment in Dallas. Only the famed Broadway Avenue in New York City had more movie theaters in the 1940s. During this historic run, John Wayne, Audie Murphy, Gregory Peck and Jimmy Stewart were among the many stars to attend premieres at The Majestic Theater.

The Majestic Theater has also hosted famed musical acts including Johnny Cash, The Four Tops, The Temptations, Lyle Lovett and continues its reputation as a premiere Dallas music venue for national touring acts to this day. In January of 1976, The Hoblitzelle Foundation gifted The Majestic Theater to the City of Dallas. The Theatre reopened on January 28, 1983 as a performing arts venue following a major renovation.