Mayan Theater

The Mayan Theater at 1014 South Hill Street in Los Angeles, California is a landmark former movie palace. Designed by Stiles O. Clements of Morgan, Walls & Clements and opened in August 1927, the facade of the Mayan includes stylized pre-Columbian patterns and figures designed by sculptor Francisco Cornejo. This is his major work. Originally a legitimate theater, the Mayan is a prototypical example of the many excessively ornate exotic revival-style theaters of the late 1920s, Mayan Revival in this case. The well-preserved lobby is called "The Hall of Feathered Serpents," the auditorium includes a chandelier based on the Aztec calendar stone, and the original fire curtain included images of Mayan jungles and temples. As of 1990 the Mayan, with most of its lavish ornament intact, became a nightclub. It's designated a Historic Cultural Monument.