Detroit Masonic Temple

World's largest Masonic temple, with a theatre and ballroom

Address 500 Temple St, Detroit, MI 48201

The Detroit Masonic Temple is the largest Masonic temple in the world: a 14-storey, neo-Gothic limestone block opened in 1926, containing two theatres, a ballroom, banquet halls, lodges, and rented spaces over 1,037 rooms. The Cathedral Theatre and the Masonic Temple Theatre still host concerts and Broadway shows. The building's surprising public function makes the interior accessible: buy a ticket to a show, take a tour, or just walk into the lobby.

Tours run occasionally by the Masonic group and offer access to ornate rooms not used for public events. The block is in the Cass Corridor, near Wayne State University.

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A story
When the Masonic Temple was hit with $142,000 in unpaid back taxes in 2013, Jack White of the White Stripes — a former member who had played his first show in the Cathedral Theatre — quietly paid the bill. The Cathedral Theatre's main stage was renamed in his honour.

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