Marian Anderson, Ella Fitzgerald, Ethel Waters, Lena Horne, Columbus’ own Ma Rainey, her protégé Bessie Smith, and the big bands of Duke Ellington, Cab Calloway, and Fletcher Henderson—when you hear these names, you think of great African Americans who paved the way for Black musicians. They also share something else in common: they all either got their start or performed at the Liberty Theatre.

Located in Columbus, Georgia, the Liberty Theatre was built in 1924 and opened in 1925. It originally served as a motion picture house and featured a stage for musical performances and theatrical productions popular at the time.

The Liberty Theatre holds great importance in Georgia’s history. It was the first Black theater in the city and, at the time of its construction, the largest movie house in Columbus, giving the city’s best Caucasian theaters strong competition. The theater served as a major center of entertainment for 50 years before closing in 1974 due to the desegregation of local facilities and deterioration of the building.

After standing vacant for several years, the Liberty Theatre was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. In 1993, a $1 million grant was approved for its rehabilitation and restoration, leading to its reopening in 1996 as the first African American arts institution and musical playhouse in Columbus.

Today, the restored facility operates as a Performing Arts and Cultural Center for the entire community, hosting musical events, theatrical productions, and cultural programming.