About Us
This documentary was produced by Carlee Mayo, '22, who interned at the Majestic Theater 2020-2022.
A Majestic History
Gettysburg College and the Majestic Theater recognize the connections Indigenous Peoples have to this land and acknowledge the impact of settler colonialism. The Majestic Theater honors the rich and complex history of the theater, site, and community in which we exist. We honor Indigenous pasts and the present to ensure vibrant futures. We are committed to deepening our relationships with the land and the human and other relatives with whom it is shared. Acknowledging, celebrating, and grappling with this history make this a site rich with opportunity for entertainment and cultural enrichment.
The Majestic Theater opened on November 14, 1925, welcoming audiences to the largest vaudeville and silent movie theater in south-central Pennsylvania. Built by Henry Scharf as an annex to the historic Hotel Gettysburg, the land beneath the Majestic may have served as a makeshift embalming site for thousands of bodies in the aftermath of the July 1863 Battle of Gettysburg. That November, Abraham Lincoln walked by this site after disembarking from the train that he is said to have written his famous Gettysburg Address to consecrate Soldiers’ National Cemetery. In September 1925, just two months before the Majestic opened and while finishing touches were still being completed to the building, Gettysburg hosted a gathering of nearly 25,000 members of the Ku Klux Klan for a rally.
In the 1950s, President Dwight D. Eisenhower and First Lady Mamie Eisenhower regularly attended performances and films at the Majestic, sometimes in the company of world leaders. The theater's gymnasium, now the site of the cinemas, was used by the White House press corps from 1955 to 1961 for news conferences whenever President Eisenhower was in residence at his Gettysburg farm. Like many establishments locally and nationally, the theater was functionally segregated until the mid-1960s with “people of color” seated only in the balcony section.
Gettysburg College purchased the Majestic in 1988 and in 2004 under the leadership of Jeffrey Gabel, launched a stunning $16.5 million historic restoration and reinvigoration to once again be a state-of-the-art facility to serve the community and welcome guests from near and far. The doors reopened with a gala headlined by Broadway legend, Elaine Stritch performing to a sold-out audience of donors, government leaders, and community members.
The Majestic is endowed with a great deal of history and complexity which we acknowledge and honor as we look to the future. Thank you for playing a role in our present and future!
Updated July 19, 2024
