Woodward Avenue (M-1) - Automotive Heritage Trail
Detroit Opera House, MI

The Detroit Opera House, originally opened in 1922 as the Capital Theatre, is one of several great movie and vaudeville theater palaces designed by Detroit-based architect C. Howard Crane. The venue deteriorated over the years until it was closed in 1985 with little hope of reopening. Needing a home, the critically acclaimed Michigan Opera Theatre purchased the building and adjacent property. The owners began the process of restoration, including over 70 percent of the building's plaster. In 1996, the $24 million project ended with an inaugural concert featuring Luciano Pavarotti.