The State Theatre was opened in 1921 and at the time was considered the most technologically advanced in the United States. The theatre has a seating capacity of 2,181 and was designed by Chicago architect J.E.O. Pridmore in a free Italian Renaissance style. Between 1921 and 1978, the State Theatre was mainly a movie house, although vaudeville acts played there, as well as concerts and ballets. The State Theatre was bought in 1989 by Minneapolis Community Development Agency, and after nearly two years of renovation, the theatre re-opened in November 1991, showing plays and musicals.