Overview

The 2,000-seat State Theatre was built for W.S. Butterfield Theatres, Inc., an operator of vaudeville theatres in southern Michigan, at a cost of $350,000.

Opening night was a bill of vaudeville: the Libby Dancers, comedian Ned Norworth, and jazz band the Austin Mack Century Serenaders; followed by the feature presentation Frisco Sally Levy (1927)  starring Tenen Holtz, Kate Price, and Sally O’Neil.

The State was designed in the Atmospheric style with a Spanish courtyard theme by theatre architect John Eberson. O.E. Hempel, one of Eberson’s team, was the resident engineer on-site throughout construction.

Just prior to the theatre’s opening Eberson was quoted as saying “there isn’t as beautiful a theatre of its size in the United States”.

The theatre is home to its original Barton theatre organ. The introduction of “the talkies” generally ended the use of the organ but by 1961 it was fully restored and put back into service. Prior to the theatre closing the organ was still used for special presentations but its condition was noted by the American Theatre Organ Society  as “in need of restoration”.

The theatre closed as a regular movie theatre in mid-December 1982. Then, in 1985, it was purchased by the Hinman Company , a move which resulted in renovation and preservation work taking place.

The Hinman Company successfully operated the theatre for 40 years, and for many years the State was the premier live performance venue in Kalamazoo (seating capacity roughly 1,700), however it closed its doors in November 2024.

In late September 2025, it was announced  that Lead Balloon Productions  had purchased the theatre. The owners of Lead Ballon, husband and wife team Dan and Holly Carmichael, announced that they planned to restore and preserve the theatre, and to “fill (the) halls with music, comedy (and) performances of all types”. While there is no solidified timeline for the theatre to reopen, the Carmichaels said they are striving to be able to host the community in some way for the 100th anniversary in 2027 with reopening expected thereafter as construction schedules allow.

In January 2026 it was announced  that Wilson Butler Architects  had been selected to help bring the historic theatre back to life, by “honor[ing] the theater’s extraordinary architectural legacy while carefully upgrading the building to support contemporary performance, improve the patron experience, and ensure the venue remains welcoming and accessible to all”.