Fourth Street or Entertainment District Kentucky Theater Project

The rebirth of Louisville’s historic Fourth Street entertainment district is getting another boost through the efforts of the Kentucky Theater Project.

Built in classic art deco style in 1921, the Kentucky Theater operated for more than 60 years as a movie theater. In 1984 it became home for a multimedia slide presentation promoting Kentucky tourism, but the show was short-lived and in 1986 the building closed. Ten years later the City of Louisville marked the abandoned building for demolition.

Local entrepreneur George Stinson bought the historic theater at auction to save it from the wrecking ball and in 1998 gave a no-cost lease to a band of volunteers who created a non-profit arts organization, called the Kentucky Theater Project, Inc. Since that time, organization founders have worked with more than 200 volunteers to transform the Kentucky Theater into a vibrant community arts center that is bringing new life to Fourth Street.