A vacant retail store was converted into the first movie theater on June 26, 1896. Called Vitascope Hall, it was located on Canal Street in New Orleans, Louisiana. The theater featured a vitascope projector purchased from Thomas Edison's company.
Following the success of the feature film market, which was established in 1915 with the release of "The Birth of a Nation," a number of theaters began to open throughout the country. These theaters focused on elaborate architectural layout and featured perks such as air conditioning.
1948 saw a change in movie theater management structure. The U.S. Supreme Court, in the United States v. Paramount Pictures, broke up the major studio control over movie theater chains throughout the country.
The 1970s saw the rise of two new format theaters: the second-run theater and the porn theater. The second-run theater showed films that were older or B-quality for a discounted price. Porn theaters became highly popular during the decade until the cost-effectiveness of the VHS market changed the industry.
The late 1980s and early 1990s saw the rise of the megaplex theaters. These movie theaters featured stadium seating and multiple screens that used digital audio--and occasionally digital projectors--to give the audience a larger-than-life experience.