BNHA Charles Theater (Balt. Passenger Railway Power House/Car Barn)

Affiliations

Baltimore City Landmark

National Register of Historic Places

Interpretive Framework

Shaping a Monumental City: The City’s Growth in the 20th Century

Star Attractions

Charles Street Byway

Resource Type

Points of Interest

Performing Arts Venue

1711 N Charles St

Baltimore, Maryland 21201

The Charles Theater complex embodies the history and changing times of Baltimore. The building was originally built as a trolley car garage and adapted several times to other uses. In 1939, the garage was rehabbed into the Times Theater, Baltimore’s first newsreel theater, and the Famous Ballroom. The Famous Ballroom was used for many events during the 1940s to 1960s. By 1964, the Famous Ballroom became home to the Left Bank Jazz Society that produced 48 shows per year. All the premier giants in jazz played at the Famous Ballroom. Today, the Charles Theater is Baltimore’s premiere art house theater. The Charles Theater was designated a city landmark and listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1998.

Site summary courtesy of the Commission for Historical and Architectural Preservation