Sages Visit to the Palace Theater and the Brown Hotel

The Epiphany Sages make trip to two local landmarks.

By Dennis Keller

In late March the Sages visited a part of Louisville's history, the Palace Theater and the Brown Hotel.

The tour was arranged by Judy Pessolano and Suzanne Mosley.

The opening stop was the Palace Theater. The ornate theater dates back to 1928 and designed by John Eberson. The construction cost then was one & half million dollars and featured ornate Spanish styling. The patrons were met with a ceiling depicting faces of Shakespeare, Bach, Wagner & Dante and then entered the theater that seated 2851 persons.

Besides talking movies the theater offered vaudeville. It is a must see.

Part two of the tour included the Brown Hotel. The Brown got its name from the founder, J. Graham Brown, a multi-millionaire. His initial background was in lumber and race horses. It has been the site of various movies and has had guests as Al Jolson, too the Duke of Windsor, President Harry Truman and notables as Robert Young, Eddie Arcaro and a host of other dignitaries. Built in 1928 at a cost of 4 million, was not an immediate success. The Depression took its toll on the Brown, but hit its high note during WWII. Thecrystal ballroom served many notable entertainers that got their start at the Brown, such as Gene Krupa, Rowan & Martin. In 1971 it closed its doors however, a major renovation took place in 1983 that returned it to the original splendor in 1990. History abounds, but one item caught our eye, in 1920 a person could attend the New Years eve party, enjoy a seven course dinner for $7.50. Today, that is a fast food lunch. It's a visit you will long remember.

To see more pictures of the Sages visit [click here].