Donor Center

More than just a beautiful historic theatre.

The Landmark Theatre is the largest proscenium theatre in Central New York, with over 2,700 seats in our auditorium. Each year, we host everything from touring Broadway shows to concerts to comedians and more. These events attract over 100,000 guests per year, with over 50% of these patrons traveling from outside of Onondaga County. As the anchor of the historic Salina Street district, we’re a significant driver of economic activity in Downtown Syracuse.

For over three generations, the Landmark Theatre has been a center of arts and entertainment for Central New York. But 90+ years of service to the community has taken its toll. To ensure this historic gem is preserved for future generations, critical restoration projects need to be undertaken; first we need to restore the exterior envelope to weather tight condition. Once that is accomplished we can begin the restoration of our beautiful auditorium to its original glory.

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What we are going to do:

The roofing materials over both the auditorium and the HVAC systems are past their service lives and need to be replaced. As part of the roof replacement we will upgrade our insulation to 10 times more R-value level than we have now.  At the same time we will perform long overdue maintenance to exterior masonry. Cornices, capstones and brickwork need to be repointed and, in some cases, repaired or replaced with historically matching materials.  This project is urgent as we are already experiencing water penetration into the building.

Once the exterior of the building is weather tight we hope to begin the restoration of the interior of the auditorium. This process is difficult: to get access to the ceilings, proscenium and side walls of the Balcony the restorers must fill the space with scaffolding. The scaffolding gives them safe access to clean and repair the plaster finishes throughout the auditorium. At the same time we will replace the tapestry finishes that line the Orchestra sidewalls.  To avoid closing the Theatre the work will be performed over two or three summers.

We are going to address another critical infrastructure need – restrooms. The Theatre is embarking on a huge expansion of restroom space on the Main Lobby level. Women’s room spaces will increase by 300% and the Men’s facilities by 150%. Once the project is complete we will provide as many spaces on the Main Floor as are in the Upper and Lower Lobbies combined.

How you can help:

The first part of the masonry restoration project begins late Summer 2022. The roof replacement and Phase 2 of the masonry restoration is scheduled for Summer 2023. Also scheduled for that summer is the Main Lobby Restroom Expansion project. Then, in Summer 2024 we’ll complete Phase 1 (of 3) of the auditorium restoration. Phase 1 will see the Proscenium Arch (and its adjacent ceiling) and the Balcony Rail restored.

The Syracuse community (and beyond!) has always rallied behind us, and we’ve been incredibly fortunate to receive support from local foundations, businesses, and individual donors. We’re asking you to consider making a gift that will help us achieve our goal.

Your generous financial donations help us achieve very specific goals; these are detailed on the donations page. We have tried to make it as clear as possible where your valuable money goes in the ongoing restoration of this beautiful and historic theatre.

This is your historic treasure to maintain and preserve for future generations.

This is your home for arts and entertainment.

This is your Landmark.