1038 S. Hill St. Los Angeles, CA 90015 | map |
The Mayan Theatre pages: history | vintage exterior views | recent exterior views | ticket lobby | main lobby | mezzanine lobby | vintage auditorium views | recent auditorium views | booth and attic | stage | basement |
The theatre and the parking garage of its new neighbor to the north, a 54 story residential tower. That lot at Olympic and Hill had been a parking lot frequently used by theatre patrons and film crews. Photo: Bill Counter - August 2025
Hill Street views 2007-2025:
2007 - A tropical view looking south on Hill. Photo: Ken McIntyre
2007 - Under the marquee looking south. Photo: Ken McIntyre
2007 - A marquee soffit detail. Photo: Ken McIntyre
2007 - The south face of the marquee. Photo: Bill Counter
2007 - Not much foliage in front. Photo: Bill Counter
2007 - A detail of the north window. Photo: Bill Counter
2007 - One of the vicious looking guys. Photo: Bill Counter
2008 - The front of the marquee. It's a shot from a forty photo Mayan Theatre album by Jeff Bridges on Flickr.
2009 - A nearly vertical view of the vertical. Thanks to Don Solosan for sharing his photo.
2009 - A photo by Don Solosan for the LAHTF. Note that part of the roof sign neon was on. The Los Angeles Historic Theatre Foundation is involved in the study and preservation of the
vintage theatres in the Los Angeles area. The group supports
events and occasionally offers tours.
2009 - The vertical from the north. Thanks to Don Solosan for this photo taken for the LAHTF.
2009 - The south end of the marquee at dusk. Photo: Don Solosan - LAHTF
2009 - The theatre during a blue phase. Photo: Don Solosan - LAHTF
2009 - A detail of the ornament on either side of the marquee. Thanks to Don Solosan for his photo taken for the LAHTF.
2010 - The signage at night. Photo: Bill Counter
2010 - Another view of the vertical. Thanks to Mark Peacock for his photo. See his Vintage Theatres album on Flickr for other great work.
2012 - The top of the facade. Thanks to Stephen Russo for his photo, another that appeared on the LAHTF Facebook page.
2012 - A corner view on a busy night. Thanks to Hunter Kerhart for sharing his photo. Keep up with his recent explorations: HunterKerhart.com | on Flickr |
2012 - A view from across the street. Photo: Hunter Kerhart
2012 - The theatre in a purple mood. It's a photo by Ken McIntyre.
2014 - The facade from above. It's a shot from from Ian Wood's "Downtown Los Angeles"
on Vimeo. He spent several months shooting downtown theatres
and other historic buildings from a drone that resembled "a mutant
chicken." It's four minutes and forty five seconds of wonder that's not
to be missed.
2016 - The facade at night. It's a photo from the LAHTF Facebook page used to advertise their "all-about" tour of the theatre that year.
2017 - The northwest corner of the building. Thanks to Shawn Dudley for his photo. It's one of five views in a post of his on the LAHTF Facebook page.
2017 - A view through the trees from the south. Photo: Shawn Dudley
2017 - A closer look at the warriors. Photo: Shawn Dudley
2017 - Looking up from under the marquee. Photo: Shawn Dudley
2017 - The vertical sign from the south. Photo: Shawn Dudley
2018 - A view south with a bit of the Belasco Theatre on the right. The elaborate paint job dates from the 1960s. Photo: Bill Counter
2018 - A view to the north. Photo: Bill Counter
2018 - Looking in at the entrance. The anodized aluminum doors are obviously
not original. The ticket lobby used to be open to the street. Photo:
Bill Counter
2018 - A look at the roof sign. When the building opened there was a
neon roof sign that was a tower above the center of the facade that just
said "MAYAN." This readerboard dates from the 30s. Photo: Bill Counter
2020 - A view south by Ian Logan that appeared with "LA's Shuttered Movie Theaters and Venues Are Using Their Marquees to Speak to the City," an April 2020 Los Angeles Magazine story by Mr. Logan and Cindy Whitehead that included eleven additional photos. Thanks to Yasmin Elming for spotting it.
2021 - It was reopening night after being dark since March 2020 due to Covid restrictions. The theatre didn't have a vertical
when it opened but this one has been on the building since the 30s.
Photo: Bill Counter - June 19
2022 - A look in the Onni Group gate in March as construction was beginning. Photo: Bill
Counter
2023
- The big dig north of the Mayan and Belasco for the 60 story
residential tower developed by the Onni Group. That's Olympic Blvd. on
the left. Thanks to Mike Hume for getting this shot from Google Earth.
See the page about the Mayan on his Historic Theatre Photography site.
2023 - A last look at the roof sign before the new building went up to the north. Photo: Mike Hume
2024 - The theatre and its new high-rise neighbor to the north. Photo: Bill Counter - August 9
2024 - Facade details captured by Jessie Alcheh for "Luchadores and porn kings: The unlikely survival of LA's Mayan masterpiece," Paula Mejía's December article for SF Gate.
2025 - A look north toward Olympic. Photo: Bill Counter - August 21
2025 - The crowd gathers for the Mayan's final night of operation as a nightclub run by Sammy Chao. It was the end of a 35 year run. Yes, the theatre's vertical looked terrific, running through its repertory of tricks. What's next? Dark for a while. And then the hope is that it'll reopen with a new management team. Photo: Bill Counter - 8:30 pm, September 13. The doors opened at 9.
The north side of the building:
2007 - Looking back toward the alley. Photo: Bill Counter
2013
- Looking south from Olympic Blvd. Down the alley note a bit of Julia
Morgan's Herald-Examiner Building. The north half of the block has been a
parking lot for decades but there's a new project proposed for the
site. Photo: Bill Counter
2022 -- Fencing was up in March and removal
of asphalt had begun in the big parking lot at Olympic and Hill. Photo: Bill
Counter
2025 - Down the alley from Olympic after construction of the 54 story Onni tower. We still get to see the "M" on the stagehouse. Photo: Bill Counter
Around the back:
2009 - A nice view of the backwall signage by Corey Miller, appearing in his Theatre Signs album on Flickr. Also see his Movie Theatres set.
2012 - A view from across Broadway. Photo: Bill Counter
2012 - The Belasco and Mayan stagehouses from 11th & Broadway. Photo: Bill Counter
2016 - The Mayan and Belasco stagehouses from up in the Case Hotel Building on the east side of Broadway. Thanks to Hunter Kerhart for sharing his photo.
2018 - South down the alley toward Julia Morgan's Herald Examiner Building. Photo: Bill Counter
2018 - The loading door stage left. Photo: Bill Counter
2018 - Looking north in the alley with the Belasco's north exit at the left. Photo: Bill Counter
2024 - Checking
out the ductwork on the roof of the Mayan stagehouse. Thanks to Keri
Freeman for sharing her photo taken from the rooftop restaurant at
the Hoxton Hotel.
In the south exit passageway:
Looking east from the Hill St. end of the passage. The door at the left goes into the boxoffice area. At the end of the passage there's an open door from the side of the auditorium as well as an open doorway to get to the stairs to the stage basement. Photo: Bill Counter - 2016
The stairs to the stage basement at the end of the south passageway. Photo: Bill Counter - 2016
At the stage end looking back toward Hill St. Photo: Bill Counter - 2016
Looking up to the mid-balcony exit at house left end of the crossaisle.Photo: Bill Counter - 2016
Down the stairs from the mid-balcony exit. The exit at the top of the balcony on either side doesn't use the fire escape -- there are enclosed stairwells for those. That's the Belasco on the right. Photo: Bill Counter - 2016
A bit lower on the stairs. Photo: Bill Counter - 2016
A closer look at a reproduction of an ad for a 1930 production that's on the landing. Photo: Don Solosan - LAHTF - 2009
Over on the Belasco's fire escape looking toward the alley. Photo: Bill Counter - 2016
The stage right stairs to the basement. Photo: Bill Counter - 2016
In the north exit passageway:
Looking toward the stage end of the passage. Exit doors to Hill St. are behind us. Photo: Bill Counter - 2016
A ladies room tucked in at the west end of the passage to satisfy ADA requirements. It's using part of what was a coat check room. The original restrooms are still in use but they're up in the balcony lobby. Photo: Bill Counter - 2016
An added men's room near the Hill St. end of the north passageway. It was a busy show the night before -- the staff hadn't had time to clean up yet. Photo: Bill Counter - 2016
A peek into the rear of the auditorium. Photo: Bill Counter - 2016
Looking toward the stage end of the passage. Photo: Bill Counter - 2016
The view back toward Hill St. Photo: Bill Counter - 2016
| Downtown: theatre district overview | Hill St. and farther west | Broadway theatres | Spring St. theatres | Main St. and farther east | downtown theatres by address | downtown theatres alphabetical list |
| Westside | Hollywood | Westwood and Brentwood | Along the Coast | [more] Los Angeles movie palaces | the main alphabetical list | theatre history resources | film and theatre tech resources | theatres in movies | LA Theatres on facebook | contact info | welcome and site navigation guide |
No comments:
Post a Comment