Star/Spotlight Theater
22265 Eureka Rd, Taylor, MI 48180
-Abandoned as Star Theater: 2009
-Abandoned as Spotlight Theater: November 2012
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Date Recorded: 3/25/24
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History of the Star/Spotlight Theater
The Star Theater of Brands was founded in the late 1980s and was a Michigan exclusive theater brand, operated independently by a partnership between Jim and Barrie Loeks via Columbia Pictures Entertainment. Outside of Michigan, the theaters were named and branded differently as Loews Theater. The theaters were known for having Megaplex screens (Multiple theater rooms inside one building) and for select rooms having stadium seating. The Star Taylor 10 Theater was opened in 1989 and originally had 8 screens but was expanded to 10 by 1995. The theater was very popular when it opened, but as the shopping plaza that the theater rests on began to decline, so did it. People reported that the theater was a bit rowdy and would often attract a less than desirable crowd. The theater continued on until 2005 when it was bought by AMC Cinemas and was turned into the "AMC Star Brand." Not much changed, and the theater continued until December 2009 when AMC closed it. The theater got a second chance in the spotlight as it became the Spotlight Theater in June of 2010. Not much is known about the people behind the Spotlight Theater, but it is believed to have been an independent small business and an attempt to bring the theater back to life. Minor renovations were conducted, and new paint was applied in certain interior areas, mainly the lobby and hallways, to give the building a more yellow color. Most exterior elements weren't changed, keeping the original red theme. The letters on the building originally said "Star Theaters" were lazily removed to only say "Theater," with the once indents of "Star" still being visible. The Spotlight Theater operated until November of 2012 when it closed for good. Plans for the also Michigan-based very popular "MJR Digital Cinemas" to take its place came about in 2014 but were withdrawn. Today, 12 years later, the theater, very easy to get into, has been the victim of teenagers mainly looking for a cool hangout spot which has led to major destruction of property and property damage inside the building. Vandalism is also a big problem inside the theater, and much of the walls are covered in graffiti of various taggers.
Recollection from the author
The Star/Spotlight Theater was a interesting one especially the first times I had ventured inside the building, it was the building that got me more versed in Urban Exploring after only doing one building before that in 2022 (KIDZ PLAYLAND), the eerie nature of the building was spooky at first, all the soundproofing of the theaters made a very unique exploration not found in many buildings best put by Manfred Mann’s Earth Band Album name “The Roaring Silence”, the silence of the theater rooms was something to admire, the projection rooms had many papers and events that the theater once hosted as the spotlight theater which was nice to have to put a story together of the once theater
Main Front entrance from the inside
Theater Designation sign for theaters 1-4
Outside of the building from the back main entrance
Southern Hallway facing towards main lobby
Main Lobby facing Front Entrance
From the Projection room looking into theater #3
Concession stand on 5-10 theater side
Concession stand on 1-4 theater side
Main Lobby facing towards wrecked ticket office the glass dome on top can be seen shining through
Wrecked Ticket office
Popcorn sitting on the ground likely still from the day the theater closed
Attempts to get people to experience the new spotlight theater from 2011
Projection room for theaters 5-10
5-10 theater hallway looking towards the main lobby
Arson Fire |September 2024| Update
Upon Entering the Theater for a update in Late September 2024 we found that a fire had happened in the theater, upon further inspection we found the smell of the fresh fire had also spread to the 1-4 projection room and burn marks were present around rooms adjacent to the theater room #3 which we had documented many months before the fire broke out, due to the Structure being mainly concrete the floor is still stable as it always was, but the walls have been damaged most notably the Fabric that incases the theater
The images below show Theater Room #3 a room that had a Arson Fire break out in September of 2024 and a earlier image of the same room on April 9th 2024
Burn Damage visible and even able to be smelled from the outside of the theater room
close up of the burn damage to the entrance to theater room #3
from a outsider not knowing about the damage this would look like normal damage
upon walking up the stairs something is off
at the top right of the theater a fire has broken out
in the corner all fabric has burned to dust
the remaining fabric hangs
many fixtures from the top of the room fell in the fire
many chairs burned leaving only the metal left
heavy ceiling damage to a lot of the room especially in the back
on the floor chard remains of the ceiling line the floor
Heavy black debris lines the top of the former soundproofing material
looking up from a lower level at the full extent of damage caused
in the top of the theater much reduced to the bricks that lined the separation between rooms
Fabric blocks the walkway after falling
looking down the stairs to the theater room that has ceiling debris all over the flight
a metal roof element is all that remains of the part of roof
in the 1-4 projection room stairwell black smoke damage lines the top part of the ceiling
looking out of theater room #3 from the projection room clear smoke damage can be seen on the bricks
once one of the nicest theaters in the building now burned to be nothing but a shell
looking down at lower levels also burned in the fire