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The New York Hippodrome
In 1905 The New York Hippodrome was the largest theater in the world. It featured a 100-foot-by-200-foot stage and could seat up to 5300. This huge attraction brought in the biggest acts of the day, such as Harry Houdini and Jumbo, the musical. However, it racked up a hefty maintenance bill. Seventeen years after opening, it was refashioned into a vaudeville theater. Five years later, the space became a movie theater and then an opera house; finally, once world famous Hippodrome was transformed into a sports arena. It was dealt a final blow in 1939, during the Great Depression, and was torn down to make way for an office building and parking garage.