Experience the charm and grandeur of the Russell Theatre, a historic gem in Maysville, Kentucky! Originally opened in 1930, this stunning Spanish-Moorish Revival theater was built to dazzle audiences with both film and live performances. From hosting the world premiere of Maysville native Rosemary Clooney’s The Stars Are Singing to captivating audiences with its Mediterranean garden-style auditorium, the Russell Theatre has been a cultural landmark for generations.
In 1929, Colonel J. Barbour Russell, a flamboyant, well-known Maysville businessman who made his early fortune in the wholesale grocery business, decided to erect a movie palace in downtown Maysville. A president of both the Maysville Rotary Club and the Maysville County Club, Russell formed the first boys’ band in Maysville, the Kentucky Cardinal Boys’ Band, and had achieved some regional celebrity as a patron of the band. With the erection of the grand downtown theatre, though, Russell would realize his greatest prominence.
Russell contracted with architects Frankel and Curtis of Lexington and interior designer Ralph Culpepper of Columbus, Ohio, to build a luxurious structure that transported its patrons to a world of escape. The structure resulting from Russell’s vision is constructed entirely of steel, concrete, brick, and terra cotta in Spanish Colonial style. “What the Roxy is to New York,” Russell boasted, “The Russell will be to Maysville.” Russell spent $200,000 in 1930 to build the theatre, the equivalent of more than $2.7 million today.
Russell Theatre, East Third Street, Maysville, KY, USA
Distance: 0.01 mi (straight line)
Crowe Bar, Market Street, Maysville, KY, USA
Distance: 0.02 mi (straight line)
The College Café, Maysville, KY 41056
Distance: 0.04 mi (straight line)
Bradley’s Boutique & Haberdashery, East 2nd Street, Maysville, KY, USA
Distance: 0.05 mi (straight line)
128 Market St, Maysville, KY 41056, USA
Distance: 0.07 mi (straight line)
Sprinkles Of Hope, West 2nd Street, Maysville, KY, USA
Distance: 0.07 mi (straight line)
O'Rourke's Pub, Market Street, Maysville, KY, USA
Distance: 0.08 mi (straight line)
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Distance: 0.09 mi (straight line)
Moon River Bed & Breakfast, Market Street, Maysville, KY, USA
Distance: 0.09 mi (straight line)
French Quarter Inn, East Mcdonald Parkway, Maysville, KY, USA
Distance: 0.11 mi (straight line)
E Mcdonald Pkwy, Maysville, KY, USA
Distance: 0.13 mi (straight line)
EAT Gallery, West 2nd Street, Maysville, KY, USA
Distance: 0.13 mi (straight line)
Early Dawn Designs, East Third Street, Maysville, KY, USA
Distance: 0.14 mi (straight line)
Babz Bistro, East Third Street, Maysville, KY, USA
Distance: 0.14 mi (straight line)
47 W 2nd St, Maysville, KY 41056, USA
Distance: 0.14 mi (straight line)
Galleries and Venues Food and Drinks Shopping
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51 West 2nd Street, Maysville, Kentucky 41056, USA
Distance: 0.15 mi (straight line)
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