A Century of Applause

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Step back in time to October eleventh, nineteen fifteen. On that evening, a grand new venue announced under the name Gaiety opened its doors, quickly becoming Austins premier vaudeville stage. Commissioned by Ernest Nalle and designed by architect John Eberson, we know this legendary venue today as the Paramount Theatre.

Over more than a century, this versatile space has evolved from a bustling vaudeville house and movie palace into a multifaceted performing arts venue. Remarkably, the Paramount is one of only about twenty theatres in the entire United States that is over one hundred years old and still actively in use as a venue. It remains a vital piece of the citys cultural soul.

As you walk the streets of downtown Austin today, listen closely, because you might just hear the faint, echoing applause of a centurys worth of audiences.

Updated June 2026