The history of the United Palace began in 1930, when it was then one of five Loew’s “Wonder Theatres” across the boroughs and New Jersey. Designed by noted architect Thomas Lamb (Cort Theatre, the former Ziegfeld Theatre) with interiors overseen by decorative specialist Harold Rambusch (Waldorf Astoria, Radio City Music Hall), it was one of the region’s premier vaudeville and movie houses. The theater’s first 40 years as a home for engaging storytelling came to an equally storied end in 1969 with a screening of 2001: A Space Odyssey — a fitting and wondrous final chapter for the Wonder Theatre. Yet while many of the city’s grand movie theaters were slated for demolition, the United Palace of Spiritual Arts (formerly known as United Christian Evangelistic Association) purchased the building to house its congregation. Nearly 90 years since it first opened its doors, the United Palace is still an inclusive spiritual center. United Palace honors the building’s legacy through concerts, multimedia productions, movie screenings, and spiritual programming. With nearly 3,400 seats, the United Palace is Manhattan’s fourth largest theater. Yet with its indescribable fusion of decorative styles, symbolic motifs, and international elements, the United Palace is as distinct, diverse, and magical as the city it calls home. The United Palace was designated as a landmarked building in 2016.
