Detroit Masonic Temple
| Detroit Masonic Temple | |
|---|---|
Exterior view of the Ritualistic Tower seen from Cass Park (c. 2007) | |
| General information | |
| Architectural style | Gothic Revival |
| Location | Cass Park Historic District, Midtown |
| Address | 500 Temple St Detroit, MI |
| Groundbreaking | November 25, 1920 |
| Opened | February 22, 1926 |
| Inaugurated | November 25, 1926 |
| Cost | $6.5 million ($98.9 million in 2023 dollars) |
| Owner | Masonic Temple Association of Detroit |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 14 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | George D. Mason |
| Other information | |
| Seating capacity | 4,650 (Masonic Theater) 1,586 (Jack White Theater) 1,080 (Fountain Ballroom) 550 (Crystal Ballroom) 400 (The Chapel) |
| Number of rooms | 1,037 |
| Website | |
| Official Website | |
U.S. National Register of Historic Places | |
Michigan State Historic Site | |
| NRHP reference No. | 80001920 |
| MSHS No. | P25067 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | November 11, 1980 |
| Designated MSHS | January 24, 1964 |
| Part of a series on |
| Freemasonry |
|---|
The Detroit Masonic Temple is the world's largest Masonic Temple. Located in the Cass Corridor of Detroit, Michigan, at 500 Temple Street, the building serves as a home to various masonic organizations including the York Rite Sovereign College of North America. The building contains a variety of public spaces including three theaters, three ballrooms and banquet halls, and a 160 by 100 feet (49 m × 30 m) clear-span drill hall.
Recreational facilities include a swimming pool, handball court, gymnasium, bowling alley, and a pool hall. It is currently the home of the Detroit Handball Club. The building includes numerous lodge rooms, offices, and dining spaces, as well as a hotel section. Although the hotel rooms are available to any noble of the mystic shrine or blue lodge mason, none are currently in usable condition. Architect George D. Mason designed the whole structure as well as the Masonic Temple Theatre, a venue for concerts, Broadway shows, and other special events in the Detroit Theater District. It contains a 55-by-100-foot (17 m × 30 m) stage, one of the largest in the country.
The Detroit Masonic Temple was designed in the neo-gothic architectural style, using a great deal of limestone. The ritual building features 16 floors, stands 210 feet (64 m) tall, with 1,037 rooms. It dominates the skyline in an area known as Cass Corridor, across Temple Street from Cass Park, and Cass Technical High School. It is within walking distance of the Little Caesars Arena and the MotorCity Casino Hotel.