The Heights Theater: A Historic Landmark for Live Music & Events

At 339 W 19th Street, at the corner of Heights Boulevard, sits one of the most culturally significant buildings in Houston Heights. The Heights Theater opened its doors in 1929 as a neighborhood movie house, survived a fire set by arsonists in 1969, sat abandoned for years, and was reborn as a premier live music venue that now draws national touring acts to the heart of the neighborhood. Here is the story of the Heights Theater and what it means for the community today.

The Early Years: A Neighborhood Cinema

The Heights Theater first opened on May 14, 1929, with the premiere of Sunset Pass starring Jack Holt. The building was designed in the Mission Revival style and featured 750 seats upholstered in green and ruby leather. Ticket prices started at 20 cents for adults. For decades, the theater served as the Heights' community cinema, screening second-run films, B-westerns, and silent movies for generations of neighborhood families.

In 1935, the theater's exterior was remodeled in the Streamline Moderne style, giving it the distinctive rounded facade, circular windows, and sleek art moderne lines that define its appearance today. That renovation was so well executed that the building was later designated a Houston Protected Landmark and added to the National Register of Historic Places.

The 1969 Fire and Dark Years

In June 1969, the theater was partially destroyed by arson. The fire was set in protest of the theater's screening of I Am Curious (Yellow), a controversial Swedish film that had drawn protests across the country. The theater owners had received threats and been followed home before the attack. The fire gutted much of the interior and left the building as a burned-out shell.

For nearly two decades, the Heights Theater sat vacant, its charred frame a quiet reminder of its dramatic past. The building changed hands several times and was used for storage before a full renovation was completed in the late 1980s. It reopened in 1989 as a performance venue and art space and also housed an antiques store for a period. But it was not until the 2010s that the theater would reclaim its place as a cultural anchor for the neighborhood.

Rebirth as a Live Music Venue

In 2015, Dallas-based developer Edwin Cabaniss purchased the property. Cabaniss had already transformed the similar Kessler Theater in Dallas into a celebrated live music venue, and he saw the same potential in the Heights. After a year-long renovation that carefully preserved the building's historic character while installing state-of-the-art sound and lighting systems, the Heights Theater reopened in late 2016.

Today, the venue has an intimate capacity of approximately 500 to 700 guests, making it one of the most inviting mid-sized music rooms in Houston. The renovation retained original architectural details including the Spanish tiling, the 1935 circular windows on the facade, and even some charred wood from the 1969 fire as a reminder of the building's history.

The Heights Theater now hosts a diverse lineup of national and local artists across genres including Americana, indie rock, singer-songwriter, country, blues, and roots music. Past performers have included acts that typically play larger theaters, drawn by the room's exceptional acoustics and intimate atmosphere.

What the Theater Means for the Neighborhood

The Heights Theater is more than a music venue. It is a landmark that anchors the 19th Street corridor, drawing visitors from across Houston who then explore the surrounding shops, restaurants, and bars. On show nights, the sidewalks along 19th Street buzz with energy, and the neighborhood feels like a true entertainment district.

For Heights residents, the theater offers the rare luxury of world-class live music within walking distance of home. There is a special kind of civic pride that comes from having a nationally recognized venue on your neighborhood's main street, and the theater's resilience mirrors the neighborhood's own story of preservation and renewal.

Planning Your Visit

Address: 339 W 19th St, Houston, TX 77008 (at the corner of Heights Boulevard)

Box office and hours: The theater is typically open six days a week from 6 PM to midnight or later on event nights. Tickets for most shows are available online through the theater's website in advance.

Parking: Street parking is available on 19th Street and surrounding residential streets, but it fills up quickly on show nights. The nearby parking lot at 19th and Ashland provides additional spaces. Many local patrons walk or bike from nearby neighborhoods.

Dining nearby: The theater is surrounded by excellent dining options. A few of the closest include Coltivare (Italian, a block away), Harold's (farm-to-table Southern), and the 19th Street corridor's many restaurants. Many patrons make a date night of it, dining on 19th Street before heading to a show.

A Landmark That Keeps Giving

Few buildings in Houston Heights carry as much history as the Heights Theater. From its roaring twenties debut as a picture palace through its dark years after the fire to its triumphant second act as a live music destination, the theater has been a constant presence on 19th Street through nearly a century of change.

Next time you walk past on a show night and hear the music spilling out onto the sidewalk, take a moment to appreciate what that building represents. It is not just a venue. It is a piece of the Heights' soul.