The "Secret" Entrance to the Liberty Theatre!

[I'm so THAT Guy]

Posted: 10/26/10 at 7:36pm

I am going into the city very soon. I was wondering if anyone has found this mysterious discovery. I saw this on another thread but I think this deserves its own thread. So any info would be amazing!

[Orangesaretuesdays]

Posted: 10/27/10 at 12:37am

I'm going to the city this weekend and I'm going to try and find it. Tell you if I do.

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 10/27/10 at 12:39am

Did I miss something? So confused!

[CapnHook]

Posted: 10/27/10 at 12:55am

Tell me the secret!!

[CockeyedOptimist2]

Posted: 10/27/10 at 12:59am

I want to know! I want to know!

[MadonnaMusical]

Posted: 10/27/10 at 3:02pm

There is another thread about old theatres that have been torn down.... The thread said that much of the old Liberty Theatre still stands as is.... hidden behind the applebees on 42nd street. Several people on the thread said there was a way you could get inside.... so I guess if anyone knows how to get in... say something.

I'm guessing if you could get into the back corridors of the applebees where they receive shipments or store stuff you'd eventually find it, though it's probably boarded up or locked. :/

[morosco]

Posted: 10/27/10 at 3:10pm

I don't have time to read everything on the follwing link but there seem to be some valuable comments. Like this...

I recently discovered that the auditorium of this theater is still very much intact cocooned by the new sky-scraping Hilton Hotel that rose above it on 42nd street. In fact, if you were to enter the lobby of the hotel (which stretches from 42nd clear back to 43rd street), you would find several large framed photographs of the theater's interior (in it's current state) hanging on the walls. If you were to walk the length of the lobby towards the 43rd street side, there is a double door on the left that leads directly into the old house. The original rear exterior facade is clearly identifiable on 43rd street. Someone had the foresight to prevent demolition when the Hotel was built, so I can only presume that some restoration or re-use of it's facilities might be forthcoming.
posted by Ed Solero on Oct 27, 2003 at 10:04pm

Further down on the comments the person who made the above post corrected him/herself:
I was the one who posted (erroneously) that the theater was between 42nd and 43rd. I meant to say 41st street where I say "43rd street" in that post. My apologies. Anyway, as mentioned in my post and in later posts, the auditorium of The Liberty remains largely intact, hidden behind the 42nd Street Applebees Restaurant and under the Hilton Times Square tower.

Cinema Treasures Liberty Theatre Updated On: 10/27/10 at 03:10 PM

[songanddanceman2]

Posted: 10/27/10 at 3:25pm

You should all read the thrad 'what Times Square Buildings used to be Theatres', it's the most amazing thread on here by far

[Borstalboy]

Posted: 10/27/10 at 3:31pm

If you focus your mind on it and visualize it enough, the entrance will manifest itself.

[snowskittle]

Posted: 10/28/10 at 1:07am

I hope that anyone who does go searching for it, and actually finds it, will take a camera and report back here.

[TheaterBoy7777]

Posted: 10/28/10 at 12:06pm

I tried to find this entrance for 2 days after reading the best thread ever and couldn't find the door in the Applebees/Dave & Busters building. However when I went into the Hilton and asked about viewing the theater they always said I had to go through this manager which was never there. I believe you'll have to create a pretty good lie on why you need to take pictures once you meet this manager. I was planning on telling the manager(who was never there) that I was building a website dedicated to lost theaters of New York and there interior architecture ...your more than welcome to borrow my reason...as long as we get some more pictures! You can still see the entrance to the theater on 42nd used by Ripley's.

[Adam Chris]

Posted: 10/28/10 at 5:13pm

The entrance is not visible to Muggles.

[allofmylife]

Posted: 10/28/10 at 6:45pm

Adam, LOL.

[mybigsplash]

Posted: 10/28/10 at 11:53pm

Someone told me this is the back of the liberty theatre on 41st St, as seen on Google Maps.

[wonderwaiter]

Posted: 10/28/10 at 11:58pm

So if you tap your wand on the third brick from the left...

[PRFRMR20]

Posted: 10/29/10 at 12:07am

I walked by it today and tried a few doors... :)

Those two raised doors in the picture are locked and every other entrance on the 41st exterior is locked as well.

While walking through the hotel, I tried a few of the double doors (unlocked) but didn't go in and couldn't see anything with everyone around.

Think I might try to ask for the manager and go that route.

[gvendo2005]

Posted: 10/29/10 at 3:36am

I could've sworn someone posted a picture somewhere of a plain door inside Ripley's that led to the Liberty, hidden in the middle of a display area. Am I wrong? I could easily be misremembering, though at 20 I don't see how. (Could be all the pot I smoke before shows.)

[snowskittle]

Posted: 10/29/10 at 8:51pm

I heard there was a secret door into one of the Wintergarden dressing rooms from an adjoining restaurant.

Anybody know anything about that one?

[MadonnaMusical]

Posted: 11/15/10 at 7:46pm

Yes to everything above, checked it out last week. Couldn't find anyone to let me inside, and the hotel guys seemed to be annoyed. Oh well. The photos in the lobby are of the theatre as it supposedly is now, but they were taken back in 1996. Photos by Andrew Moore, you can see them on his website under TIMES SQUARE 1995-2005. Like below.
Andrew Moore: TIMES SQUARE 1995-2005