The Variety Theatre is on the National Registry of Historic Places and sprawls over an entire block. The complex was constructed in 1924 as a vaudeville venue and shuttered in 1984 after hosting headliners like the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Metallica. It’s currently under restoration by former Mahall’s owner Kelly Flamos, who will mix residential and retail spaces while resuscitating the 2,000-capacity hall that closed after Motorhead famously rocked the plaster off the ceiling with their 130-decibel show.
As we collectively anticipate its unveiling, visitors can snap a pic under the restored marquis and saunter across the street for another photo op with the steel Top Hat sculpture created by artist Steve Manka. Cleveland Public Library’s adjacent Eastman Branch, renovated in 2023, has a replica of the Variety Theater marquee in the children’s library, where you can browse pictures of its storied past while paging through books “After the Final Curtain” and “Abandoned America.”