At one hundred and four years old, the State Theater is still one of Bay City's most recognizable landmarks. Despite floods, fires and a century of history, the theater remains and operates proudly on Washington Street. Dozens of events are organized every year. Orchestras, Vaudeville, various musical and comedy groups are just some of the thousands of shows that have been hosted within its walls. The building inside has been remodeled several times in recent decades, and each time pieces of the past have been found. Although there is an eerie presence, the six-hundred-seat room is still full for most events. The theater may not be run by the same employees and the jobs have changed, but the theater is still as loved by many as it was when it first opened. The State Theater in Bay City has an exciting history dating back a century! Competition from other theaters was high in 1906 when the Bijou Theatre, now known as The State Theatre, first opened on the "third floor of the []Reduced Building", located at the corner of Center and Madison Streets in Bay City ” (Greene). There were "Alvarado, Lyric, Grotto, Temple, Roxy, Regent, Empire, and various opera houses, all located on [the theater's current street], Washington Avenue, between the 1870s and 1960s" (LaLonde). On September 6, 1908 “the Bijou Theater opened in a new building on Washington Avenue” where they joined the top ranks of the competition, and vaudeville soon became the primary entertainment offered (LaLonde). “The building was owned by Worthy L. Churchill and operated by Dan Pilmore” (Remember…?). In August 1920 the theater was renamed the Orpheum Theater, and in 1926 they began showing movies (Green......center of card......Kart, Jeff. "Dow Chemical Offers Donations to Landmarks. " Bay City Times July 12, 2005: A2: Print.LaLonde, Pati. “Dazzling Display.” Bay City Times September 12, 2008: A2: Print.LaLonde, Pati “Lecture and concert will tell the story of the Bay City Times.” October 7, 2010: C1: Print.LaLonde, Pati. "Out with the Old." Bay City Times August 15, 2008: A1: Print.LaLonde, Pati "State Theater Will Offer Last Look at Its Past." 2008: A1. Print.Lee, Frank C. “State Theater receives $500,000 gift.” Bay City Times February 28, 2002: A1: Print.Nowlin, Micheal K. “Curtain Closing?” Stamiris, Sheila. “Downtown Theater Is a Great Success Story.” Bay City Times April 9, 1993: A3: Print.State Theater Ghost Bay City, Michigan: np, 2003. Print.Turner, Mike “The State is a labor of love.” Bay City Times June 14, 1992: C2: Print.