Loew’s Valencia Theatre 🇺🇸

Located at 165-11 Jamaica Avenue in Queens, New York City, the Valencia Theatre originally opened on January 11, 1929, as one of five lavish Loew's Wonder Theatres in the region. Designed by John Eberson as an ornate movie palace, this New York City designated landmark was crafted in a Spanish and Mexican Baroque style.

Since October 1977, the former theater has been occupied and preserved by the Tabernacle of Prayer for All People, functioning as a active church. While visiting, you can admire its impressive L-shaped exterior featuring a brick-and-terracotta facade, complete with detailed cherub heads, lancet windows, and a distinctive curving parapet with ornate finials.

Inside, the architecture transitions into a grand interior decorated in Spanish Colonial and pre-Columbian styles, bathed in a rich gold, ruby, cobalt, and turquoise color scheme. The massive 3,500-seat auditorium is uniquely designed to resemble a 17th-century Spanish garden, featuring asymmetrical turrets, statues, balconies, and a soaring blue ceiling adorned with painted stars to give the impression of an open-air courtyard.

What to see at Loew's Valencia Theatre

• Designated New York City landmark designed by renowned architect John Eberson
• Elaborate Spanish and Mexican Baroque brick-and-terracotta facade
• Interior color scheme featuring rich gold, ruby, cobalt, and turquoise tones
• 3,500-seat atmospheric auditorium designed to evoke a 17th-century Spanish garden
• Soaring ceiling painted blue with stars to simulate an open-air sky

Visiting tips

Be mindful that the building currently operates as an active house of worship for the Tabernacle of Prayer for All People, so always maintain a respectful posture when viewing the property.

How long: 1 hour · Best time: Daylight hours

How to get there & what’s nearby

Loew's Valencia Theatre is easy to reach on Queens’s public transport, and pairs naturally with Forest Park. For where to stay, the weather and full itineraries, see our Queens travel guide.