Did you know that there once was a bowling alley in the basement of The Palace Theatre in Greensburg? And a billiards parlor too.

These bits of trivia were among facts and stories shared with about 100 visitors during a free tour Thursday highlighting the historic entertainment venue’s 95th anniversary.

In 1921, it debuted as the Manos Theatre and opening night was a grand affair, said tour guide Teresa Baughman, the theater’s director of operations and programming.

More than 5,000 patrons attended two shows that featured music played on a grand Wurlitzer organ, animal acts and screening of Cecil B. DeMille’s “Young April,” a silent movie with live orchestral accompaniment.

The theater changed hands several times over the years, with the nonprofit Greensburg Garden and Civic Center Inc. being formed to purchase the venue in 1990. The organization was renamed The Westmoreland Trust in 1992, then Westmoreland Cultural Trust in 2005.

Here are five more fun facts Baughman shared during the tour:

1. The Manos Theatre had 2,136 seats, compared to the current 1,367. How did the Manos host a crowd of 5,000 on opening night? The overflow was accommodated in standing-room-only space, Baughman said — adding that there were no building capacity rules back in the day.

2. The Trust completed about $7 million in building upgrades in its first five years of ownership, and more than $12 million to date, Baughman said. One of the last cosmetic fixes needed is repair of water-spotted ceilings in the auditorium.

Shirley McMarlin | Tribune-Review One of two Louis Grell murals adorning the walls of The Palace Theatre in Greensburg.  

3. The theater’s loge is graced on either side by a large, fairy tale-themed Louis Grell mural. The since-restored murals were covered for years with tapestry and furring strips that did substantial damage. There is a third mural under a coat of paint above the stage’s proscenium arch. It has not yet been determined if the paint can be removed without damaging the work underneath.

4. The theater’s domed ceiling once contained a system of red, blue and green lights that blinked and flashed to music played on the aforementioned Wurlitzer organ, similar to light displays in modern roller rinks.

Shirley McMarlin | Tribune-Review Director of Operations and Programming Teresa Baughman (left) discusses little-known facts about The Palace Theatre in Greensburg during a 95th anniversary tour on Sept. 2, 2021.  

5. The opera boxes were removed during the 1970s and then restored to their original places in 1999. Contrary to popular belief, Baughman said, opera boxes are not the best seats in the house — depending on the act, the view of the stage can be obstructed by speaker stacks.

“It’s more of a place to be seen, not to see,” she said.

The free tour will be repeated at 10 a.m. and noon Sept. 11 in the theater at 21 W. Otterman St. No preregistration is needed.

For information, visit thepalacetheatre.org.

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