The Knickerbocker Theater: From Upscale Cinema to Psychedelic Dance Hall
Updated and Expanded: March 25, 2025
The collapse of the Knickerbocker Theater's roof in Washington, DC on the evening of January 28, 1922 brought tragedy not only to those inside, but also later to its owner and architect. Reborn as the Ambassador Theatre the following year, it would continue to survive until the 1960s.
The Knickerbocker Theater once stood on the southeast corner of Eighteenth Street and Columbia Road NW. It was built in 1917 for the Knickerbocker Theater Company, owned by businessman Harry Crandall. At one point, Crandall owned a chain of 18 theaters in Washington D.C., Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia.
