History of the Palace Theater     

The Historic Palace Theatre, built in 1919, was an entertainment landmark for over 50 years in the communities of northwest New Jersey. Commencing as a silent movie and vaudeville house, it later featured talking movies, local high school plays and graduations, minstrel shows and other live entertainment.

      In 1934 The Palace was leased by a prominent operator of theatres in Newark and the Oranges and a period of major renovation began. The interior was stylishly redecorated in 1934, employing fabric wall covering and ceiling draperies. A marquee was added at the entrance and the Colonial Revival facade was covered by an Art Deco style front in 1938.

      In the mid-1930's the Hopatcong Broadway Players, comprised of nationally-known actors, directors and writers, tried out theatrical productions at the Palace before taking them onto Broadway. Bert Lytell, Celeste Holm and Gale Sondergaard were among the actors who appeared on the Palace stage. Newly released popular movies appeared at the renovated Palace Theatre over the next two decades.

      During the mid-1940's the commercial storefronts in the Palace's facade were removed and the theatre continued as a popular movie house into the 1960's. It then fell on hard times as competition from television and multiplex theatres led to a decline in patronage. In 1981 the venerable theatre was converted into a warehouse for a moving company, a purpose it served until 1994.

      In May 1995 The Growing Stage purchased the Palace and began to convert it back into a performing arts center. The Palace Theatre is now on both the national and state Register of Historic Places.