940 S. Figueroa St. Los Angeles, CA 90015 | map |
The Variety Arts pages: history + exterior views | lobby areas + upper floors | auditorium | stage + stage basement | other basement areas |
The outer lobby:
A 1924 Mott Studios lobby photo in the California State Library collection. It's one of twelve photos of the building in their set #001384324. Figueroa St. is off to the left, the inner lobby through the doors at the right. The doors were later removed.
A look toward the exit doors. That's the elevator lobby through the doorway at the left. Thanks to Cap Equity Locations for this 2014 photo as well as all the others appearing here. They broker deals for those seeking spaces for filming or special events. See their Variety Arts page for 132 photos of the building. Thanks to Rebecca Reynoso for the use of the firm's photos.
The Variety Arts pages: history + exterior views | lobby areas + upper floors | auditorium | stage + stage basement | other basement areas |
The outer lobby:
A 1924 Mott Studios lobby photo in the California State Library collection. It's one of twelve photos of the building in their set #001384324. Figueroa St. is off to the left, the inner lobby through the doors at the right. The doors were later removed.
A lobby view toward house right. The doors at the left go to the inner lobby. Straight ahead is the elevator lobby as well as stairs to the mezzanine. Photo: Mott Studios - California State Library - 1924
A lounge area. Photo: Mott Studios - California State Library - 1924
The lobby as it was decorated in the Variety Arts era of the 1970s and 80s when Milt Larsen had the building. It's a photo taken by the Community Redevelopment Agency that ended up in the Los Angeles Public Library collection.
A lobby view by Elizabeth Daniels that appeared with the now-vanished 2012 Curbed L.A. story "Touring South Park's...1924 Variety Arts Theatre." It was about the use of the building for a haunted house extravaganza put together by Blumhouse.
A look toward the exit doors. That's the elevator lobby through the doorway at the left. Thanks to Cap Equity Locations for this 2014 photo as well as all the others appearing here. They broker deals for those seeking spaces for filming or special events. See their Variety Arts page for 132 photos of the building. Thanks to Rebecca Reynoso for the use of the firm's photos.
The view back into the main lobby from the elevator lobby. Photo: Cap Equity Locations - 2014
Looking toward the house left side of the lobby and the boxoffice windows. Photo: Cap Equity Locations - 2014
The alcove beyond the boxoffice area with stairs to the basement and up to the nezzanine. Photo: Cap Equity Locations - 2014
The main lobby during renovations. Photo: Cap Equity Locations - July 2019
Opening night for the Julia Stoschek Foundation's six-week exhibition "What a Wonderful World: An Audiovisual Poem." She says: "It’s really a dream come true. Los Angeles is the city of the moving image. No other city has shaped the global language of cinema like Los Angeles." Photo: Bill Counter - February 6, 2026
A clearer view to the popcorn stand and the stairs down to the Ed Wynn bar. Photo: Bill Counter - February
2026
"Help yourself to free popcorn." Note the original boxoffice windows. Photo: Bill Counter - February
2026
Looking across from the north side of the lobby. Free popcorn on the right. The stairs to the basement bar are behind us. Photo: Bill Counter - February
2026
The front doors. That's part of the Hotel Figueroa across the street. Photo: Bill Counter - February
2026
The elevator lobby:
A look at the stairs up to the mezzanine from the elevator lobby, off the house right (south) side of the main lobby. It's from the October 1924 issue of Architect and Engineer. They gave the building a big spread including thirteen photos in an article entitled "A New Club Building in Southern California."
The elevators and stairs to the mezzanine. Photo: Cap Equity Locations - 2014
Looking toward Figueroa St. and into the main lobby. Photo: Cap Equity Locations - 2014
The elevators. Photo: Cap Equity Locations - 2014
The stairs to the mezzanine. Photo: Cap Equity Locations - 2014
The elevator lobby during renovations. Photo: Cap Equity Locations - July 2019
The elevator lobby during renovations. Photo: Cap Equity Locations - July 2019
Opening night of the Julia Stoschek Foundation's "What a Wonderful World: An Audiovisual Poem." The piece they were watching was Thomas Demand's "Balloons" from 2018. Photo: Bill Counter - February 6, 2026
A railing detail. Thanks to Sandi
Hemmerlein for sharing this photo and others appearing on these pages.
They were included with her February 2026 Avoiding Regret photo essay "A Long-Neglected Playhouse for Variety Acts Gets Some Much-Needed Attention from the Art World."
Looking back out to the main lobby. Photo: Bill Counter - February
2026
A nook in the inner lobby. Photo: Architect and Engineer
- October 1924
A view in from the outer lobby. It's one of over 80 photos from the Variety Arts Center page of the site The Location Portal. The firm represents property owners in negotiations with companies looking for locations for filming or special events.
The inner lobby looking toward house left. Stairs to the basement restrooms are near that exit door that's straight ahead. Photo: Cap Equity Locations - 2014
The inner lobby toward house right. Photo: Cap Equity Locations - 2014
The inner lobby bar as seen from the street. On the two monitors it's Disney's "Skeleton Dance," a 1929 Silly Symphony. On the left we're looking into the auditorium. Photo: Bill Counter - February
2026
Looking to house left on opening night of the Julia Stoschek Foundation show. Photo: Bill Counter - February 2026
On the house left stairs. Photo: Bill Counter - February 6, 2026
Venetian glass on the stairs to the mezzanine. Photo: Sandi Hemmerlein - Avoiding Regret - February 2026
The mezzanine between 1st and 2nd floors:
The mezzanine bar c.2014. Take a right where the arches end and you're at the elevators. Photo: The Location Portal
The mezzanine elevator lobby. To the right are the stairs to the main floor and up to upper levels, but not to the theatre balcony. The wall on the right is not original -- added later for fire separation. Photo: Bill Counter - February 2026
Another view at the elevators. Photo: Bill Counter - February 2026
Facing Figueroa. On the monitor it was Alex McQuilkin's "Get Your Gun Up" from 2002. Photo: Bill Counter - February 2026
The opening night crowd for the Julia Shoschek Foundation exhibition. Photo: Bill Counter - February
2026
A great looking metal office door at the south end of the mezzanine bar. Photo: Bill Counter - February
2026
Behind the bar it was Klara Liden's "Untitled (Trashcan)" from 2001. Photo: Bill Counter - February
2026
From near the bar, another view of the opening night crowd. The elevators are off to the left. Photo: Bill Counter - February 2026
Looking back along the bar. The double metal doors lead to exit stairs. Head around the corner to the
right and you're at the elevators. Photo: Bill Counter - February 2026
The stairs behind the elevators also serve this exit from house right side of the balcony. Photo: Bill Counter - February 2026
The house left end of the mezzanine. To the left it's a screening room. Behind these stairs are the ones down to the main floor. Take a 90 degree turn to the right to head into the theatre's balcony. Photo: Bill Counter - February 2026
The
screening room. They were showing the 1917 film "Betsy Ross," directed
by Travers Vale and George Cowl. Photo: Bill Counter - February 2026
The east wall near the stairs with a window for coat check. To the left it's a door to get into the coat check room and then the entrance to the auditorium. Off to the left it's a window looking east plus a door out to a fire escape. Photo: Bill Counter - February 2026
The entrance to the house left side of the balcony. Photo: Bill Counter - February 2026
Looking to house right. That arrow points you into the auditorium. Photo: Bill Counter - February
2026
On the main stairs south of the elevators: heading up to the 2nd floor. Photo: Bill Counter - February 2026
The 2nd floor library spaces:
The fireplace on the east wall. Photo: Architect and Engineer
- October 1924
Looking north toward the bar. This was originally the club's library. Photo: Cap Equity Locations - 2014
The space dressed up for a Halloween haunted house. Photo: Elizabeth Daniels - Curbed LA - 2012
Windows looking onto Figueroa St. Photo: The Location Portal - c.2014
Looking in from the elevator lobby during renovations. Photo: Cap Equity Locations - July 2019
Another look at the fireplace area. Photo: Cap Equity Locations - July 2019
The bar at the north end of the space. Photo: Cap Equity Locations - July 2019
Looking in from the elevator lobby during renovations. Photo: Cap Equity Locations - July 2019
Another look at the fireplace area. Photo: Cap Equity Locations - July 2019
The bar at the north end of the space. Photo: Cap Equity Locations - July 2019
Peeking in from the elevator lobby on opening night of the Shoschek Foundation's exhibition. The screen hung in the middle of the room was displaying "Cities of Gold and Mirrors," a nine minute 2009 piece by Cyprien Gailliard running on a continuous 16mm loop. Photo: Bill Counter - February 6, 2026
A look to the west wall. Photo: Bill Counter - February 2026
The bar at the end of the space. That little arch to the left of the exit goes nowhere -- just a small storage area. The monitor was playing Maya Deren's "Meditation on Violence" from 1948. Photo: Bill Counter - February 2026
Watching "Meditation on Violence." Photo: Bill Counter - February 2026
The east wall alcove north of the fireplace. Photo: Sandi Hemmerlein - Avoiding Regret - February 2026
Looking back to the fireplace. Photo: Bill Counter - February 2026
Tile on the fireplace. Photo: Bill Counter - February 2026
In the fireplace. Photo: Bill Counter - February 2026
Back toward the elevators and stairs. Photo: Bill Counter - February 2026
On the stairs to the 3rd floor. Photo: Bill Counter - February 2026
The view from the landing. Photo: Bill Counter - February 2026
The 3rd floor theatre:
The rear of what was originally called the Lecture Hall. Photo: Architect and Engineer
- October 1924
A corner of the room. Photo: Architect and Engineer - October 1924
The 3rd floor theatre space early in the Variety Arts era. The photo appears in the 28 page "Variety Arts Center Commemorative Edition" from the mid-1980s that's available as a PDF from the Los Angeles Public Library. This room has a capacity of about 250. When Milt Larsen
had the building he called it at various times the Masquers Theatre and the Tin Pan Alley Little Theatre.
A later "after remodeling" photo from the commemorative booklet.
A larger but cropped version of the shot above that appeared as a full page in the commemorative booklet.
The room as it appeared in 2012 when used as part of the Blumhouse haunted house. Photo: Elizabeth Daniels - Curbed LA
Another main floor view. Photo: Cap Equity Locations - c.2012
A look toward the stage from the mezzanine level between 3rd & 4th floors. Photo: The Location Portal - c.2012
The 3rd floor lobby area. The elevators are out of the frame to the right. Photo: Cap Equity Locations - 2014
A peek in toward the proscenium. Photo: Cap Equity Locations - 2014
The rear mezzanine in 2014. Photo: Cap Equity Locations
The theatre during renovations. Photo: Cap Equity Locations - July 2019
The lobby in 2026. Photo: Bill Counter
Opening night for the Julia Stoschek Foundation's exhibition. Photo: Bill Counter - February 6, 2026
The windows overlooking Figueroa. Photo: Sandi Hemmerlein - Avoiding Regret - February 2026
A closer look at Jordan Wolfson's 2020 work "Artists Friends Racists." It uses twenty whirling Hypervsn holographic displays with micro-LEDs mounted on a plywood wall in the middle of the space. Photo: Bill Counter - February 2026
The bar and mezzanine along the east wall. Photo: Bill Counter - February 2026
The proscenium. Photo: Bill Counter - February 2026
A look up backstage. Photo: Bill Counter - February 2026
Up in the mezzanine at the rear of the space. The monitor was playing Christoph Schlingenseif's 2005 piece "Affenführer." Photo: Bill Counter - February 2026
The elevators at this mezzanine level. Photo: Bill Counter - February 2026
Behind "Artists Friends Racists." Photo: Bill Counter - February 2026
The walkway over to the side mezz area. Photo: Bill Counter - February 2026
A stage view from the mezz. Photo: Bill Counter - February 2026
A corridor behind the stage at mezzanine level with several dressing rooms and not much more. Here we're stage right looking east. The window at the far end looks out onto the fire escape that's along the north side of the building. Photo: Bill Counter - February 2026
Back stage left at mezzanine level and looking out toward the auditorium. The stairs at the left get you down to stage level. Photo: Bill Counter - February 2026
A look to the back of the house. Photo: Bill Counter - February 2026
On the stairs up to the 4th floor we get this view into the exit passage along the south side of the building. In the upper left it's the windows of the ballroom. In the lower left note the light boxes added behind what had been windows high on the auditorium's side walls. Straight ahead we're looking at doors out to the fire escape from the ballroom/kitchen as well as dressing room levels 4, 5, and 6. To the right are windows in a separate exit stairwell down from the ballroom. Photo: Bill Counter - February 2026
The 4th floor ballroom space:
The foyer outside the ballroom/dining room. The windows on the left overlook Figueroa St. Photo: Architect and Engineer
- October 1924
The ballroom, here set up for a meal. We're looking east with the entrance to the kitchen behind the screen at the end of the room. Photo: Architect and Engineer
- October 1924
The 4th floor in the Variety Arts era of the 1970s and 80s when Milt
Larsen had the building. It's a photo taken by the Community
Redevelopment Agency that ended up in the Los Angeles Public Library
collection.
Around the upper part of the walls note the signature blocks that had once been on the facade of the Earl Carroll Theatre in Hollywood. Well, the originals were stored in the basement. Arlene Larsen, Milt's widow, notes that they had plastic replicas made as the originals were crumbling and, in any case, to heavy to hang on these walls.
A display of some Earl Carroll autograph panels at the Variety Arts. Several originals are on the pedestals at the bottom. That's a photo of Earl in the center. The two photos toward the right are of Beryl Wallace, the troupe's star and Earl's longtime companion. It's a photo in the collection of Arlene Larsen, Milt's widow. Thanks to Jeff Abraham for snapping a shot of it.
The east end of the room. The kitchen is behind the divider. The photo appears in the 28 page "Variety Arts Center Commemorative Edition" from the mid-1980s that's available as a PDF from the Los Angeles Public Library.
A 1980s side wall view from the commemorative booklet.
The 4th floor ballroom set up as a club. We're looking toward Figueroa St. Photo: The Location Portal - c.2014
Looking down into the ballroom after a bit of demo. Photo: The Location Portal - c.2014
A view back toward the kitchen. Photo: The Location Portal - c.2014
Looking back toward the ballroom lobby fronting on Figueroa St. Photo: The Location Portal - c.2014
The ballroom during renovations. Photo: Cap Equity Locations - July 2019
The east end of the space. The kitchen is beyond. Photo: Cap Equity Locations - July 2019
The 4th floor kitchen, on the east end of the ballroom. Photo: The Location Portal - c.2014
The kitchen during renovations. That bricked-in stack is one of the two smoke vents coming up from the theatre's stagehouse. Photo: Cap Equity Locations - July 2019
Another kitchen view. We're at the east end of the building, above the stage. The stairs get you on top of the little corridor between the kitchen and ballroom. The doorway on the right at the far end of the room leads to a dedicated exit stairwell down to street level. Photo: Cap Equity Locations - July 2019
The 4th floor elevator lobby. Photo: Bill Counter - February 2026
The ballroom lobby on opening night of the Julia Shoschek Foundation exhibition. On the screen it was a short excerpt featuring Buster Keaton in Charles Reisner's 1928 film "Steamboat Bill, Jr." Photo: Bill Counter - February 6, 2026
A less busy night. It's a lounge area through the doorway left of the screen. Photo: Bill Counter - February 2026
Looking back toward the elevators. The doors at the right lead to a balcony overlooking Figueroa St. On the screen at this end of the space it was Monica Bonvicini's 1998/2003 piece "Hammering Out (an old argument)." And that's what you got: a hammer hitting a wall. Photo: Bill Counter - February 2026
On the balcony, looking northwest. Photo: Bill Counter - February 2026
Looking toward the ballroom. Photo: Bill Counter - February 2026
In the ballroom, looking east toward the kitchen. It's a photo by Joshua White that appeared with the Forbes article "Audiovisual Poem Reveals Life’s ‘Magic, And Tragic, And Drama,’ In Downtown LA" by Chadd Scott. On the left it's Jacolby Satterwhite's "Shrines" from 2020. At the right it's "Blow Debris," a 2000 piece by Bruce Aitken
Another view in. Unlike what we saw in the Forbes photo above, during the exhibition the two pieces alternate. Here on the right it's a countdown before the switch when "Blow Debris" comes on. Photo: Bill Counter - February 2026
The decorative wall in front of the kitchen, with reflections from the two screens. Photo: Bill Counter - February 2026
The ceiling in the southeast corner. Photo: Sandi Hemmerlein - Avoiding Regret - February 2026
The service corridor in front of the kitchen, which is off to the right. Photo: Bill Counter - February 2026
The east wall of the stripped-out kitchen space behind the ballroom. We're above the stage. On the screen it's Jesper Just's 2005 piece "Something to Love." Photo: Bill Counter - February 2026
The kitchen's west wall. Photo: Bill Counter - February 2026
A closer look at "Something to Love" playing on the screen in front of the space's south wall. Photo: Joshua White - Forbes - February 2026
Behind us, in the northeast corner of the building, there's an elevator serving this level, the ground floor, and the basement.
In the ballroom exit stairwell near the northeast corner of the building. There's a similar stairwell serving the ballroom and kitchen over on the southeast corner of the building. Photo: Bill Counter - February 2026
A look down the stairs. Photo: Bill Counter - February 2026
Nice views to the west on the way down. These stairs have no exit until you get down to street level, at which point you can get out to the exit passageway that runs along the north side of the building. The stairs on this side continue to the basement, where you can exit backstage. Photo: Bill Counter - February 2026
Back in the ballroom with a view west. On the screen it's Bruce Aitken's 20 minute long piece "Blow Debris." Photo: Bill Counter - February 2026
Stairs back to the lobby. Photo: Bill Counter - February 2026
The 5th floor:
Looking north from the elevators c.2014. The rooms on the left have windows looking out over Figueroa St. Thanks to The Location Portal for this photo and all the others appearing here. Visit their Variety Arts Center
page for over 80 photos of all areas of the
building. They negotiate deals for filming or special events.
The south room on the west side of the corridor. Photo: Cap Equity Locations - 2014
Outside the elevators during the renovations. Photo: Cap Equity Locations - July 2019
Farther down the corridor in 2019. Photo: Cap Equity Locations
The south room on the west side of the corridor during the renovations. Photo: Cap Equity Locations - July 2019
The north room on the west side of the corridor. Photo: Cap Equity Locations - July 2019
The room at north end of the floor. Photo: Cap Equity Locations - July 2019
Looking west in the end room. The windows overlook Figueroa. Photo: Cap Equity Locations - July 2019
The 5th floor on opening night of the Julia Shoschek Foundation's exhibition. The LED wall at the end of the corridor was displaying "Doku The Flow." Photo: Bill Counter - February 6, 2026
The corridor's ceiling. Photo: Bill Counter - February 2026
The first room to the left, overlooking Figueroa. They were running the Georges Méliès 1902 film "A Trip to the Moon." Photo: Bill Counter - February 2026
At the other end of the space it was Paul Chan's 2000-2003 piece "Happiness (Finally) After 35.000 Years of Civilization (after Henry Darger and Charles Fourier)." Photo: Bill Counter - February 2026
Backing up a bit from the previous views. In this photo by Carlin Stiehl the screen on the right was running Paul Chan’s "Happiness..." with "A Trip to the Moon" in the distance. The photo appeared with Will Fenstermaker's February 3, 2026 L.A. Times story "Closed for decades, a historic L.A. theater reopens for an ambitious late-night video art experience."
One of the room's chandeliers. Photo: Sandi Hemmerlein - Avoiding Regret - February 2026
The north room on the west side of the corridor was running Jeremy Shaw's "Quickeners" from 2014. Photo: Bill Counter - February 2026
The room on the east side of the corridor closest to the elevators was playing Max Skladanowski's eighteen minute 1895 film "Mr. Delaware and the Boxing Kangaroo." The windows look east, out over the roof above the 4th floor ballroom. Photo: Bill Counter - February 2026
The back of the room running the "Boxing Kangaroo" film. This room has two doors. Farther down the hall there are stairs to the roof and, in a smaller room than this, Kader Attia's 2013 piece "Mimesis as Resistance." Photo: Bill Counter - February 2026
The end room on the east side of the corridor. On the wall it was Wolfgang Tillman's "Heartbeat / Armpit" from 2003. The door leads to the fire escape. Photo: Bill Counter - February 2026
On the fire escape, looking east along the side of the building. In the upper center it's a sign for The Met, an apartment building at Flower and Olympic. The windows and doors on the right are from the 4th floor ballroom. Photo: Bill Counter - February 2026
The room at the end of the hall, with windows overlooking Figueroa St. On the LED wall it was Lu Wang's "Doku The Flow" from 2024. Photo: Bill Counter - February 2026
Looking back down the 5th floor corridor to the elevators. Photo: Bill Counter - February 2026
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