Downtown in Cleveland in Cuyahoga County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Cleveland Theater District

Photographed by Christopher Busta-Peck, April 11, 2009

1. Cleveland Theater District Marker

Inscription. The Theater District, bound by Chester Avenue, Prospect Avenue, East 18th, East 9th and East 12th Streets, came into being at the turn of the 20th century, when Cleveland emerged as a thriving metropolis. Built between 1890-1928, the area hosted a variety of fine retail stores, theaters, prestigious clubs, restaurants, and distinct office buildings. The rise of television and flight to the suburbs sent downtown entertainment into a death spiral, until a 1970 grass roots effort saved from demolition the surviving post-World War I theaters (the State, Ohio, Hanna, Allen, and Palace), making it the "world's largest theater restoration project." It became a catalyst for reinvestment in downtown properties, restoring civic pride and giving testimonial to the creative vision of the city's civic leaders and citizenry. By the year 2000, Cleveland's Theater District boasted the nation's 2nd largest performing arts center.

Erected 2002 by the Ohio Bicentennial Commission, the Longaberger Company, Cleveland Theater District Development Corp., Garden Club of Cleveland, Shaker Garden Club, and the Ohio Historical Society. (Marker

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Number 32-18.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Entertainment • Industry & Commerce. In addition, it is included in the Ohio Historical Society / The Ohio History Connection series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1970.

Location. Marker has been reported missing. It was located near 41° 30.046′ N, 81° 40.936′ W. Marker was in Cleveland, Ohio, in Cuyahoga County. It was in Downtown. It was at the intersection of Euclid Avenue (U.S. 20) and East 14th Street, on the right when traveling east on Euclid Avenue. Touch for map. Marker was at or near this postal address: 1317 Euclid Ave, Cleveland OH 44115, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker was on the Lake Erie Shore

and in the Western Reserve.

It was also in the American Midwest.

Globally, it was in North America,

on the Great Lakes,

in the Western Hemisphere,

in the Western World,

and in the Anglosphere.

Historically, it found itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

and the Northwest

Cleveland Theater District image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Christopher Busta-Peck, April 11, 2009

2. Cleveland Theater District

Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this location: 'Abdu'l-Bahá and the Bahá'í Faith (within shouting distance of this marker); Playhouse Square (within shouting distance of this marker); Detective Martin J. McFadden (within shouting distance of this marker); Birth of Rock 'N' Roll (within shouting distance of this marker); Cleveland Grays (about 600 feet away, measured in a direct line); The Union Club (about 600 feet away); Erie Street Cemetery Chapel Flooring Stones (approx. 0.2 miles away); In Memoriam (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Cleveland.

Photographed by Craig Doda, March 8, 2026

3. Cleveland Theater District Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on March 31, 2026. It was originally submitted on April 14, 2009, by Christopher Busta-Peck of Shaker Heights, Ohio. This page has been viewed 1,338 times since then and 21 times this year. Last updated on August 31, 2024, by Grant & Mary Ann Fish of Galloway, Ohio. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on April 14, 2009, by Christopher Busta-Peck of Shaker Heights, Ohio. 3. submitted on March 22, 2026, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.