 The facade as seen in 2006 | |
 | |
| Address | 54 Journal Square Jersey City, New Jersey United States |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 40°43′56″N 74°03′52″W / 40.732330°N 74.064567°W |
| Public transit | Journal Square Transportation Center |
| Owner | Government of Jersey City |
| Operator | Devils Arena Entertainment |
| Type | Movie palace |
| Capacity | At least 3,021 |
| Current use | Entertainment venue |
| Construction | |
| Opened | September 28, 1929 |
| Closed | August 21, 1986 (as movie palace) |
| Rebuilt | 1986–2001, 2021–present |
| Years active | 1929–1986 (as movie palace), 2001–present (as event venue) |
| Architect | Rapp and Rapp |
| Website | |
| loewsjersey | |
Loew's Jersey Theatre | |
| Location | 54 Journal Square, Jersey City, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Architectural style | Late 19th & 20th Century Revivals; Baroque Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 100007648 |
| NJRHP No. | 1518[1] |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | April 25, 2022 |
| Designated NJRHP | March 10, 2022 (original date August 15, 1985) |
The Loew's Jersey Theatre is a cinema and performance venue at 54 Journal Square in Jersey City, New Jersey, United States. Designed by Rapp and Rapp as a movie palace, it opened on September 28, 1929, as one of five Loew's Wonder Theatres in the New York City area. Owned by the government of Jersey City, the Loew's Jersey has been operated by Devils Arena Entertainment (DAE) since 2021. It is listed on the New Jersey Register of Historic Places and the National Register of Historic Places.
The Loew's Jersey occupies an irregular site and is divided into two sections: the lobby and the auditorium. The lobby section has an elaborate terracotta facade with a marquee, a mechanical Seth Thomas clock, and a sculpture of Saint George fighting a fire-breathing dragon. The entrance leads to a vestibule and a lobby with high ceilings, in addition to several foyers and lounges. The auditorium has at least 3,021 seats on two levels, with an elaborately decorated proscenium arch, walls, and ceilings. Like the other Wonder Theaters, the Loew's Jersey featured a "Wonder Morton" theater pipe organ manufactured by the Robert Morton Organ Company; the current organ was taken from the Paradise Theater in the Bronx, New York.
Loew's Theatres began developing a theater in Journal Square in 1927. The Loew's Jersey originally presented films and live shows, although the live shows were discontinued in 1935. The theater slowly declined after World War II, screening films almost exclusively, and was split into a triplex cinema in 1974. The theatre closed in August 1986 after Hartz Mountain Industries acquired the theater with the intent of demolishing it and redeveloping the site. Supporters of the theater's preservation formed Friends of the Loew's (FOL), which began restoring the theater after Jersey City's government bought it in 1993. The theater partially reopened for performances in 2001. After several unsuccessful attempts to lease the theater to a third party, Jersey City officials leased the theater to DAE in early 2021. DAE closed the theater later that year for an extensive renovation, which, as of 2024[update], is planned to be completed in 2026.