Jul 28, 2025 - Culture
America's first movie theater opened in New Orleans 129 years ago
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
New Orleans made history 129 years ago this month when two businessmen opened the country's first indoor seated movie theater on Canal Street.
The big picture: Vitascope Hall had room for 400 seated patrons to watch films projected on white fabric stretched across a frame, according to the historical sign.
- For 10 cents, patrons could watch 10 to 12 short films. For 10 cents more, the sign says, they could see the Edison Vitascope projector.
- For another 10 cents, they could take home a scrap piece of film.
Stunning stat: Other Vitascope theaters opened later, but Louisiana was the only financially successful one in 1896, the sign says.
If you go: The theater was at 623 Canal St., which is now the location of an apartment-style hotel from Sonder by Marriott Bonvoy.
- Sonder calls the building The Vitascope.
- The Hyatt Regency on Loyola Avenue also calls its lounge Vitascope Hall, presumably in honor of the theater.
Go deeper: Historic photos
