The Marion Palace Theatre is a 1928 movie palace in the heart of downtown Marion, built in the ornate atmospheric style that was the height of cinema fashion in the late 1920s. The interior is designed to evoke a Mediterranean courtyard under an open sky — the ceiling is painted as a night sky with twinkling stars, and the walls are decorated with Moorish architectural details.
The theatre has been restored and remains in active use as a performing arts venue, hosting live music, drama, and classic film screenings. The auditorium seats around 1,500 and retains most of its original decoration. If you are in Marion and there is a performance scheduled, the Palace is worth an evening — even a modest production benefits from the extraordinary setting.