Jackson Free Press

Description

On Thanksgiving Day in 1929, it cost only 6 cents for admission to the Saenger Theater movie palace in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Today, the 997-seat Saenger has become a celebrated fixture in the heart of historic downtown, surrounded by an array of award-winning, locally owned restaurants, all within walking distance.

One of only seven Saenger Theaters built and operated throughout the South by the Saenger brothers, Abe and Julian, the theater was designed by New Orleans architect Emile Weil and is an example of Neoclassical Revival style and Art Deco style. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. In 2000, a $3.75 million renovation was completed, restoring much of the Theater’s grandeur. Its original 778-pipe Robert Morton Pipe Organ is one of the few remaining organs of its kind in the United States and is a centerpiece for the theater.