The Embassy Theater

The Embassy Theater, built alongside the Indiana Hotel beginning in 1926 and opened on May 14, 1928, was designed by local architect A. M. Strauss with theater architect John Eberson and was one of Fort Wayne's first air-conditioned buildings. Soon after opening, Clyde Quimby purchased the theater and named it the Emboyd in memory of his mother, Emma Boyd; its five-story marquee was the tallest elevated sign in Indiana. In 1952, the theater was renamed the Embassy. Its central feature from its earliest performances has been the grand 1,150-pipe Page Organ. Facing economic ruin, the theater was saved beginning in 1974 by area organ enthusiasts who launched a city-wide fund-raising campaign, followed by an extraordinary volunteer effort by everyday citizens to refurbish the entire building. Since 1975, it has served as the community's principal theater facility, including as the main concert hall of the Fort Wayne Philharmonic Orchestra.

Fort Wayne, Indiana · United States