Washington, D.C., District of Columbia story
A Cinematic Ghost
In the Adams Morgan neighborhood, there's a spot where the nightlife used to be the center of attention. This is the site of the Knickerbocker Theatre. Opened in 1917, it was once…
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In the Adams Morgan neighborhood, there's a spot where the nightlife used to be the center of attention. This is the site of the Knickerbocker Theatre. Opened in 1917, it was once one of the most fashionable spots in the city, seating 1,700 people and serving as the largest movie theater in D.C.
But on a snowy night in January 1922, the party ended in tragedy. At 9 PM, while patrons were watching a silent film called Get-Rich-Quick Wallingford, the roof collapsed under the weight of a massive storm, killing 98 people. It remains the worst disaster in the city's history, a haunting reminder of a time when the city's nightlife was limited by the building codes of the era.
Updated June 2026