Las Vegas’ Huntridge Theater opens doors for tours as sign lights up

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) - After almost two decades in the dark, the Huntridge Theater’s marquee and neon lights will finally shine bright nightly for Downtown Las Vegas to see, and will welcome visitors for some limited tours.

Friday evening around sundown, the sign and marquee will be turned on for all of Downtown to see. Mayor Carolyn Goodman will be on hand for the ceremony. Festivities start at 5:30 p.m. and last through 8:30 p.m., and vendors and activities for the whole family are planned.

The public can sign up for tickets for free tours throughout the month of April. Visitors can look at galleries of photos through the decades, and see relics such as old movie projectors. You can sign up for free tickets here.

“We also made a commitment to make sure that the public could have access to the theater. They could come in after all of these years and see what it was like in here,” said developer J Dapper.

Visitors will also get to see renderings of plans for the facility and get a tour from architect Brett Robillard.

“The theater was designed in 1944. And at the time, it’s it was actually recalling ‘Streamline Moderne,’ which is based on Art Deco. There’s certain artifacts in here that I think could be preserved, or worked into the design. Certainly, the challenge is to not take the new design too far: let the soul of this room be,” Robillard said.

Besides live music and concerts, the stage will embrace the theater. Famed off-Broadway theater Soho Playhouse has plans for a second home in the Entertainment Capital of the World.

Artistic director Darren Lee Cole tells FOX5 the playhouse hopes to offer a home for talented and trained locals.

“There’s a great small theater scene here. The goal is for local artists to find a home for their work,” Cole said.