Moore Theatre
A historic 1,800-seat performing arts venue in downtown Seattle and the city's oldest continuously active theater.
Last updated August 24, 2026
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Overview
Moore Theatre is a historic performing arts venue at the corner of Second Avenue and Virginia Street in downtown Seattle, Washington, approximately two blocks from Pike Place Market. It opened in 1907 as part of a larger development commissioned by Seattle real-estate developer James A. Moore. The adjoining Moore Hotel and theater were conceived in part to accommodate and entertain visitors associated with the Alaska–Yukon–Pacific Exposition, which had originally been expected to take place in 1907 before being postponed until 1909. Designed by architect E. W. Houghton, the theater was created as a lavish social and entertainment setting for Seattle's early twentieth-century elite. Its original capacity was approximately 2,436, making it one of the largest theaters in the United States at the time. The building combined reinforced concrete construction with a major steel girder that carried the balcony without requiring support columns. Its exterior used white ceramic tile and terra-cotta, while the interior incorporated Byzantine and Italianate influences, luxurious materials, and elaborate decoration. The stage was unusually large for Seattle, and the building included a substantial electrical system and an extensive collection of dressing rooms. The venue was initially operated by theater impresario John Cort, who later became associated with a prominent Broadway theater enterprise in New York. The Moore continued to present theatrical programming through the 1930s and later adapted as entertainment habits changed. By the 1970s, changing audience preferences and competition from newer forms of entertainment placed the theater under financial and operational pressure. In 1975, its lease was taken over by Dan Ireland and Darryl MacDonald, who rebranded it as the Moore Egyptian and converted it into a movie palace. The new name was intended to connect the venue with the Egyptian-themed theaters then operating in several North American cities. The Moore Egyptian became an important site in Seattle's film culture. The Seattle International Film Festival began there in 1976, with projectionist Dennis Nyback associated with the theater's movie-house operation. In 1981, the building's owners declined to renew the lease. Ireland and MacDonald moved their film operation to a Masonic Temple on Capitol Hill and took the Egyptian name with them, while the original venue reverted to the Moore identity. The Moore Theatre and Hotel were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. Since the 1980s, the theater has primarily served as a venue for touring musicians, comedy performers, theatrical productions, lectures, and other live events. It currently accommodates about 1,800 people and is operated by Seattle Theatre Group, which also operates Seattle's Paramount Theatre and Neptune Theatre. The venue has also developed a notable recorded-performance legacy. Performances or productions associated with the building include Soundgarden's 1988 recording of the Fopp EP, Alice in Chains' 1990 Live Facelift video, Pearl Jam footage used in the 1992 Even Flow video, Mad Season's 1995 Live at The Moore release, and later comedy and concert recordings by artists including Patton Oswalt, Jo Koy, Wanda Sykes, Queensrÿche, Jeff Tweedy, and Bill Burr. The theater's architectural and cultural history also reflects Seattle's history of racial segregation: a former balcony entrance marked for Black patrons remains visible near the main entrance, documenting the restrictions that once separated Black audience members from white patrons.
History
The Moore Theatre was developed by Seattle real-estate entrepreneur James A. Moore during a period of rapid growth and civic ambition in the city. Designed by E. W. Houghton, the theater and adjoining Moore Hotel were intended to provide both entertainment and accommodation in the vicinity of the planned Alaska–Yukon–Pacific Exposition. Although the exposition was postponed from 1907 to 1909, the theater opened in late 1907 and quickly became one of Seattle's most imposing entertainment buildings. Its original design combined practical engineering with ornate public architecture. Reinforced concrete formed the principal structure, while a large steel girder supported the balcony without the need for columns obstructing the auditorium. White ceramic tile and terra-cotta distinguished the exterior, and the interior drew on Byzantine and Italianate decorative traditions. The original auditorium seated approximately 2,436 people. Its stage was among the largest in Seattle, and its electrical infrastructure and dressing-room provision were considered unusually advanced for the period. The first operating era was associated with John Cort, a theater manager and later Broadway figure. The Moore presented theatrical productions and other stage entertainment through the early decades of the twentieth century. As motion pictures, radio, television, and changing patterns of nightlife altered the entertainment economy, the theater faced increasing difficulty maintaining its earlier position. It remained in use through the 1930s and later underwent a particularly significant change in the 1970s. In 1975, Dan Ireland and Darryl MacDonald assumed the lease and renamed the building the Moore Egyptian. The rebranding connected the venue with the Egyptian movie-palace trend found elsewhere in North America. The operators converted the theater for film presentation, with Dennis Nyback serving as projectionist. This period gave the building a renewed cultural role: the Seattle International Film Festival was founded there in 1976. When the owners declined to renew the lease in 1981, the operators moved their activities to a Masonic Temple on Capitol Hill and carried the Egyptian name to the new location. The building subsequently returned to use as the Moore Theatre. From the 1980s onward, it became a regular stop for touring musicians and theatrical performers, while also hosting comedy, lectures, festivals, and productions recorded for later release. Its comparatively intimate capacity, historic interior, central location, and distinctive atmosphere have made it an important Seattle venue for artists who might otherwise perform in larger arenas or smaller clubs. The theater's preservation status is significant. The Moore Theatre and Hotel were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. The building is also an artifact of Seattle's social history. During the era of racial segregation, Black patrons were directed to a separate balcony through a designated entrance. The former 'colored entrance' remains visible around the corner from the main entrance, providing physical evidence of discriminatory seating practices in American theaters. In the contemporary era, the Moore is operated by Seattle Theatre Group alongside the Paramount Theatre and Neptune Theatre. It has a capacity of approximately 1,800 and continues to present live music, theater, comedy, lectures, and other cultural events. Its history spans elite social entertainment, conventional theater, repertory cinema, film-festival programming, and modern touring performance, making it one of Seattle's longest-running active cultural venues.
- 2024
Bill Burr films Drop Dead Years
[1]Bill Burr records his Drop Dead Years comedy special at the Moore.
- 2017
Jo Koy films Live from Seattle
[1]Comedian Jo Koy records his Live from Seattle special at the theater.
- 2003
Second Progman Cometh festival
[1]A second Progman Cometh festival takes place at the Moore, producing live-album material.
- 2002
First Progman Cometh festival
[1]The Moore hosts the first of two Progman Cometh progressive-music festivals held at the venue.
- 1995
Mad Season records Live at The Moore
[1]The Seattle supergroup's live home-video release is filmed at the theater.
- 1992
Pearl Jam footage appears in Even Flow
[1]Concert footage recorded at the Moore is used in Pearl Jam's Even Flow video.
- 1990
Alice in Chains films Live Facelift
[1]The band's Live Facelift home-video release is filmed at the venue.
- 1988
Soundgarden records at the Moore
[1]Seattle band Soundgarden records the Fopp EP at the theater.
- 1981
Movie operators relocate
[1]The owners decline to renew the lease, prompting the operators to move to a Capitol Hill Masonic Temple and take the Egyptian name with them.
- 1976
Seattle International Film Festival founded at the venue
[1]The theater hosts the beginnings of the Seattle International Film Festival during its movie-house period.
Products and positioning
Historic performing arts venue combining landmark architecture, Seattle cultural heritage, touring entertainment, and an intimate large-room concert experience.
Music venue programming
Live concerts
The Moore presents touring musicians and bands in an approximately 1,800-seat room. Its history includes performances and recordings associated with Seattle artists such as Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam, Mad Season, and Queensrÿche, as well as touring acts using the theater's historic setting and acoustics.
Performing arts · 1907
Theatrical productions
The venue has hosted stage productions since its opening, including theatrical programming during its early operating period and later touring productions. Its large original stage, numerous dressing rooms, and flexible auditorium design support theatrical performance as well as music and comedy.
Live entertainment
Comedy performances
The Moore is used for stand-up comedy tours and filmed comedy specials. Associated recordings include work by Wanda Sykes, Patton Oswalt, Jo Koy, and Bill Burr, demonstrating the venue's role as both a live comedy room and a production location.
Cinema and festival programming · 1975
Film screenings and festivals
During its Moore Egyptian period, the building operated as a movie palace and became the birthplace of the Seattle International Film Festival in 1976. Film-related use forms an important part of the theater's twentieth-century cultural history, even though its current identity centers on live events.
Media production
Recorded live performances
The theater has served as a setting for concert films, home videos, comedy specials, and live albums. Documented projects include Alice in Chains' Live Facelift, Mad Season's Live at The Moore, Queensrÿche concert videos, and recordings by several comedians and progressive-music performers.
Brand decisions
1981
End the Moore Egyptian leaseStrategyBackground
The theater's owners chose not to renew the lease held by the movie operators.
Action taken
The operators moved their film business to a Masonic Temple on Capitol Hill and transferred the Egyptian name to the new location.
Aftermath
The original building returned to the Moore identity and later developed into a major live-music and performing-arts venue.
1975
Convert the theater into a movie palaceStrategyBackground
Changing entertainment habits and the theater's struggle for survival created pressure to find a renewed operating model in the 1970s.
Action taken
Leaseholders Dan Ireland and Darryl MacDonald converted the Moore into a cinema venue and renamed it the Moore Egyptian.
Aftermath
The venue gained a new film-oriented identity and became the birthplace of the Seattle International Film Festival in 1976.
Sources3 sources
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