Rare Abandoned Double Decker Theater - Built in 1915 

Fun fact. On the roof adjacent to this abandoned theater, someone made graffiti viewable by satellite imagery. It's a famous quote taken from Song of Myself by Walt Whitman: "IF YOU WANT ME AGAIN LOOK FOR ME UNDER YOUR BOOT SOLES". It's fitting because of the state of decay the building is in, something about we come from dust and to dust we will return etc etc. Pretty interesting.

You guys must have found some special way in. I lived near that area and, given that the place is in Newark and has been abandoned so long, it would have been trashed and vandalized if it was easily accessible.

That place must have been amazing in its day. Even now, that still shines through--dimmed only by the passage of time. Great video.

This is breathtakingly gorgeous, and the tumultuous history behind it really makes you think.

I love how you integrate some history and a story behind the building. Keep up the great work, I’m so glad I found this channel!

The room where the projectors used to be is covered not in moss. It is fire stop, which is also contains asbestos. Back in the day the 35mm film contained a layer of nitrate which was considered extremely dangerous for its flammable tendencies.

Before something is guilded, the area is painted red. So a lot of those areas that are red were gold. Note 8:13 on the upper left.

Hey! That room around 22:15 is the grid (with an overhung lineset system). Sometimes those old wooden grids held up better than the newer grids. That one actually looked in pretty good shape!

You guys have cojones! One good sneeze and that whole place is coming down!

Well done! one of your best!!! Much love from Queensland Australia 🇦🇺

Quite the story on this place. With a little research you'll find that the seating was reduced to 2309 in 1931, which means to me that it was starting to see degradation in the 30's. As you said, it closed in 1968. Thus, the decay. I think the marquee was inside because they were trying to erase the place for business since the new theater was where they wanted the publice to go. Also, I thought maybe the marquee may have been a hazard so they removed it before it fell. Interesting place though.

These old school theaters are worth refurbishment and saving the craftsmanship you don't 👀 anymore.

Geez....guys...this place is ROUGH! Thank you for risking your lives to bring us this video.

As a theater student back in the 60s and 70s, abandoned vaudeville theaters were common. The balconies were based on ticket cost in the early vaudeville days, "ten, twent and thirt", the higher the seats the lower the cost, a dime. A dime for a live show featuring the stars of the day, Harry Lauder, The Stooges, Burns and Allen. The best abandoned theater I ever explored was the Chief Theater, Colorado Springs in 1969. Torn down, the pipe organ was still functional and still is played in a new location.

Incredible double theater! Sad its decayed, but at least its still around! The rest are either gone or cut up into many theaters/spaces etc! That big light with the handles was probably a spot light from the vaudeville days! Used to highlight the star on stage. Nicely filmed as usual!

Love how this begins, safety first 😂

I have been watching this channel for four months. It's so amazing. There's still beauty in decay.

over 50 years old being abandoned like that is a sad sight to see.. it's a shame no one took over the place and had two different companies use the place.

Again , thanks for the (🎥 movie) memories ! 👍 Great job on RKO documentary. ANOTHER landmark in Essex County (Springfield Ave & 43 Street (OLYMPIC. (amusement) PARK gone now too ( around 1965 - SAME time as RKO ) AGAIN , very fond memories. 🚌 Bus rides (#25 Springfield Ave. ) One (1) zone ride was 5 cents. 50 cents (adults) theater tickets. I 👌 KID YOU NOT !! Archie , THOSE WERE THE DAYS !! P. S. Keep up the 👍 GREAT WORK. Thoroughly enjoyable.

16:00 Welcome.....to New Jersey.

There is still an open Proctors theater in Schenectady N.Y it is beautiful! There is also another abandoned one in Troy N.Y

That big lamp is calling arc lighting. And with the rod inside. In your video is pack of new not used on the table. That is very collectable. I saw in the Discovery chanel. In US is peaople that is searching that arc lighting atributes and parts. And they are restoring and using in our days in theaters. Because it is intensive light and natural white spectrum. Cool find.

I thoroughly enjoyed this video! Thank you guys for filming this old theater to preserve it for history. You have such a great eye for detail. Well done.

At 20:06 you mention a 'rail of sound'.... Those are actually high voltage transformers that were used to light the neon in the marquee sign. Neon transformers that size are 12,000 to 15,000 volts typically.

This video was so awesome. This video really put me into the time that this building was made. Man I would have loved to do this type of thing. Thankfully you guys documented it.

Moors built a lot of the cities. Got gentrified out, then came back. This building would’ve been cool but you can tell it’s a modern design. That’s why it’s falling apart . If you’re ever in Paterson you should check out The Fabian Theatre

I almost screamed when you stepped into the elevator. Don't do that!!!

This must have been a beautiful theater when it was first built. Imagine finding a storeroom filled with old movie posters. What was that Arrow(?) book or magazine 23:23 ? Not too far here was the RKO Keith's Theater in Queens, NY built back in 1928. It was an ornate theater with balconies. Looked like a palace. I watched The Empire Strikes Back there in 1981. But it was closed down in 1986 and was abandoned for years. Evidently the interior has been gutted.

U GUYS NEED A MILLION SUBS! like the quality is sooooooo good and the content is just always great

The Paramount Theatre, a few blocks away, is basically the same. The lobbies walled off and re-purposed as store fronts.

In terms of double decker, were these theatres built at the same time or was one theatre built and then later an independent theatre built on top of that? In the case of two separate theatres where you have an independent theatre built on top of an existing theatre, only one exists today. That theatre would be the Elgin and Winter Garden where the Elgin was built first, and then the Winter Garden was later built on top. Each theatre had there own facade entrances. Of course both theatres were used for vaudeville. Later the Winter Garden was closed and only the Elgin operated as a movie theatre. It wasn't until decades later where the Winter Garden was reopened and renovations were carried out. Both theatres are now accessed by a single facade entrance. So till this day the one true double decker theatre operating in the world is the Elgin and Winter Garden.

That raisinettes box was really neat

You guys should seriously consider exploring the baikonur, the abandoned soviet space shuttle buildings with two shuttles still inside

This was just excellent!....I really enjoy old theatre explorations....but it is a bit sad to see the amazing architecture crumbling....good work guys!

@9:01, that package of Raisinets, trying to read what kind of 'glaze' Only word I can come up with it 'poisonous' I'm quite sure, that's wrong.

I'm actually astonished, because Newark, New Jersey is where my college is. I wish I could have come to explore with you guys. c:

It's Massive! I've never heard of a theater... On a theater! Neat. Sad though. As for the Marque, looks like someone was told to hurry and take it down, so It was just thrown down. The hole place looks terrribly far gone, but looks more like people used sledge hammers rather than degradation. Lastly, those Shirts looked fairly new, and CLEAN.

This theater is enormous! It's state of decay is interesting considering there are other similar places almost pristine. Nice video!

A great explore lads, an amazing place. Nice to see a lengthy video, thanks

Those film reel holders were used to organize the reels for playing, not for long term storage. Those flexible hoses were for cooling the xenon lamps in the projectors. I would assume that for coal arc lamps the hoses would have been sheet metal. Shutter flaps were there in case of fire; attempt to contain the fire for a moment to give the audience a chance to escape. (Era of nitrate film). Audio rack on the front wall hints that the equipment was somewhat modern; it wasn't uncommon to upgrade the audio on old projectors though.

Amazing find!! Great work as ALWAYS!!

I wonder if places like this will ever become tourist attractions, like the ancient ruins and temples of other countries. How much time has to pass before more people see them as interesting pieces of history to be preserved instead of destroyed or left to fall apart?

the constant sound of sirens just make it even more eerie

Can you do an exploration on Walt Disney worlds river country or discovery island?? I heard it’s so interesting and you’ll find some good stuff there! Really enjoy watching your channel! Keep up the awesome work!

Loved the video. Amazing place so much history. Were you guys on pins and needles walking through. Seeing how bad the buildings condition is.

3:49 covered is an understatement.

you guys should explore the Amboy multiplex Cinemas in Sayreville New Jersey in stuff is intact and in good condition by some pics i saw it closed in 2005 and it was extremely popular you can still see some tickets from the movie.

Brian I hate elevator cars as well, indeed not lined up - and man you walked into one of those, you are more game than I could ever be!

misaligned elevators arent terribly unnerving for me, though one like that definitely draws some attention... what i really dont like is when an active normal elevator has a bunch of people get into it and it stretches the cable an inch or two, and the elevator corrects itself with the door still open. the ones at walter reed do it all the time and as a budding engineer im wondering why a modern elevator is EVER allowed to move at all with the door open...

name a more iconic duo. i'll wait

@4:24 you guys either caught a reflection of a car or some ghost activity on the upper middle right of the structure above the stage

Best channel sip whiskey too at night before bed. I love it. So interesting.

as a theater kid, *this is pretty dope.*

Gentlemen, of all the great videos you have done, this may be your best.

this was a really beautifully done video!

Awesome video! What cameras are you using? I was thinking it’s a gh4 or gh5. Anyways thanks in advance!

i remember back in hs i would watch your videos all night long and would be exhausted the next day! haha

It is true that the Newark riot was the nail in the coffin for theaters like the Proctor, but what really killed these theaters was television. This theater has now lived longer in abandonment than in use.

This really makes you think. What will we leave behind for future thrill seekers?

This place is amazing! I want to visit this place soo bad!

Is there any pics of the interior before it was abandoned?

we’re gonna have to get the power on!

I want to do what these guys, exploring with josh, and shiey do for a living or even just for fun I've been watching this stuff for a few years now and idk why I haven;t got into it

mannequin at 19:25 boutta make me act up

Your English is on point, thank you for the great content!!

You mentioned the word asbestos at 12:20, Im freaking out.

*Mysterious music plays as camera focuses on an empty box of raisinets*

The "moss" in the projection room is asbestos as the room would have needed to be fireproofed due to the highly combustible materials used for the projectors.

Another great find....and I like the beardy look too lol!

Awesome as akways guys. Thanks so much

That "arch" where the opening is called the proscenium arch.

im watching in *theater* mode

This place was pretty interesting and fascinating 👍

Yes, the area fell victim to urban decline, but the merger of RKO with Stanley-Warner which operated the Branford Theater nearby also ensured the closure of the Proctor. But, the Branford was demolished in 1985 while the Proctor remains.🤔

when he said the stairs were dusty i did not expect that tbh😂

So cool

I would have never gone in there without a respirator. Those tiles were plain scary. Asbestos? No asbestos? Who knows?! #mesotheliomaisfun

Are you guys ever going to film in 18 by 9 or 2 by 1?

Reminds me of Kino Der Toten!

"Military grade encryption " The same encryption as HTTPS, which most websites use!

Who did you have to talk to, to get in there? Would love to do my own video. I’m born & raised in Newark, NJ.

Imagine trying to restore this building 😓😬

I wish that piano worked

Is this building / theatre for sale?

5:48 "Just the Shaft"

Just imagine when this place closed 50 years ago nobody could imagine that everything would just sit there for decades. Instead of saying American opulence I would say culture because the opulence was only a veneer. Decades of cold has turned the opulence into powder, leaving behind thin metal strips that supported the plaster.

4:22 or 4:23ish I think a ghost flying across the metal skeleton arch?

This theater was glorious even in its decay. I can't image how beautiful it was in its heyday. Thanks for showing us... This was a great video.

this episode sponsored by tetanus shots

Holy shit i've walked past this building dozens of times. I had no idea what was inside!

Found this channel a week ago, been binge watching like a madman :D it's just so good, awesome job guys!

The constant sirens really add to the apocalyptic flair!

I enjoyed the interlude at 9:20, good quick summary for people who don't know much of the background of urban blight.

About the windows, you have to remember it was built pre air conditioning. Imagine that place filled up and no air!!! Yikes.

This came out so amazing guys. Great work

you guys really should consider upgrading your footware to boots that give your ankles some protection, too... peace.

All that dust on the stairs used to be the ceiling and wall materials - I love watching your videos but I always worry about you guys getting into asbestos! Keep up the great videos but please consider some respirators!

3:46 "The stairs are kinda covered in dust" Well that´s quiet a understatement m8

I love you guys for the simple fact that you're respectful, not destructive, in the sites you explore (and not give locales in some of your vids). You appriciate what you're looking at 👏 👍

I enjoyed the history lesson on urban white flight. It added a lot of context to the already amazing work.