Byham Theater
A historic theater and movie venue in Pittsburgh's Downtown Cultural District.
Last updated August 24, 2026
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Overview
Byham Theater is a historic performance and movie venue at 101 Sixth Street in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania's Downtown Cultural District. The building was constructed in 1903 and opened to the public on Halloween night in 1904 as the Gayety Theater. It was developed as a stage and vaudeville house during an era when Pittsburgh's theater district was an important part of the city's entertainment economy. The venue presented touring productions and hosted prominent performers, including Ethel Barrymore, Gertrude Lawrence, and Helen Hayes. During the 1930s, the theater was renamed the Fulton and shifted toward operation as a full-time movie house. Its later history connected it to Pittsburgh's film culture as well as to live entertainment. The Fulton hosted the world premiere of Night of the Living Dead in 1968, a notable event in the history of the influential horror film, which had been filmed in and around Pittsburgh. The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust acquired the theater in 1990 and undertook its refurbishment as part of a broader effort to establish and strengthen Pittsburgh's Cultural District. The renovation returned the venue to a prominent role in the city's performing-arts infrastructure. A major naming gift from Pittsburgh philanthropists Carolyn M. Byham and William C. Byham supported a further renovation in 1995, after which the building became known as the Byham Theater. The venue now operates as part of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust's collection of downtown arts facilities. Its programming scope includes theatrical performances, touring entertainment, concerts, cultural presentations, special events, and selected film screenings. The theater combines a historic identity with contemporary use as a flexible presentation space serving local audiences, visiting artists, cultural organizations, and event producers. The Byham has also hosted civic and sports-history presentations. On November 13, 2010, it hosted the first public showing of a recently rediscovered recording of Game Seven of the 1960 World Series. Bob Costas moderated the event, which included appearances by Bill Mazeroski, whose home run ended the series, Pittsburgh Pirates Most Valuable Player Dick Groat, and former New York Yankees player Bobby Richardson. MLB Network subsequently broadcast the game and interviews nationally. Through its successive identities as the Gayety, the Fulton, and the Byham, the building reflects Pittsburgh's transition from vaudeville and movie-house entertainment to a coordinated downtown cultural-venue system.
History
The building now known as Byham Theater was constructed in Pittsburgh in 1903 and opened on Halloween night in 1904 as the Gayety Theater. It began as a stage and vaudeville house, a format that made it part of the commercial entertainment network serving Pittsburgh audiences in the early twentieth century. The theater presented live performers and touring attractions, and its historical associations include appearances by prominent entertainers such as Ethel Barrymore, Gertrude Lawrence, and Helen Hayes. In the 1930s, the building was renamed the Fulton and converted to full-time movie-theater use. This change reflected the broader transformation of American entertainment venues as cinema became a dominant mass medium. The Fulton retained a connection to Pittsburgh's cultural life through film presentation and later became associated with one of the city's most important contributions to horror cinema. Night of the Living Dead, filmed in Pittsburgh and nearby locations, received its world premiere at the Fulton in 1968. The theater entered a new institutional phase in 1990 when the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust purchased it and refurbished the building. The acquisition formed part of the Trust's wider plan to develop Pittsburgh's Downtown Cultural District, an initiative that brought multiple performance, exhibition, and public spaces into a more coordinated cultural network. The project repositioned the former movie house as a venue capable of supporting live performance and other cultural programming while retaining its historical architectural and civic identity. A major renovation followed in 1995 with support from Carolyn M. Byham and William C. Byham of Pittsburgh. Their naming gift led to the adoption of the Byham Theater name. Since then, the venue has operated under the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust as a downtown theater for performances, entertainment, film-related events, and special presentations. The Byham's history continued to include events beyond conventional theatrical programming. In 2010, during the fiftieth-anniversary period of the Pittsburgh Pirates' 1960 World Series victory, the theater hosted the first public showing of a recording of Game Seven that had been rediscovered in December 2009. Bob Costas led the program, with Bill Mazeroski, Dick Groat, and Bobby Richardson participating in interviews. MLB Network later broadcast the game and interviews nationally. The event demonstrated the venue's capacity to serve as a civic and media presentation space as well as a conventional performance theater. Today, Byham Theater is a functioning venue in Pittsburgh's Cultural District. Its identity is rooted in the successive histories of the Gayety, the Fulton, and the Byham: first as a vaudeville theater, then as a movie house, and finally as a restored multipurpose cultural venue operated within the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust's downtown arts ecosystem.
- 2010
World Series recording receives public presentation
[1]The Byham hosted the first public showing of a rediscovered recording of Game Seven of the 1960 World Series.
- 1995
The venue is renamed Byham Theater
[1]A major naming gift from Carolyn M. Byham and William C. Byham supported a renovation and established the current name.
- 1990
Pittsburgh Cultural Trust acquires and refurbishes the theater
[1]The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust purchased and refurbished the Fulton as part of the development of Pittsburgh's Cultural District.
- 1968
Night of the Living Dead premieres at the Fulton
[1]The Fulton hosted the world premiere of Night of the Living Dead, a horror film made in and around Pittsburgh.
- 1930
Venue becomes the Fulton
[1]The theater was renamed the Fulton and shifted to full-time movie-theater operation.
- 1904
Gayety Theater opens
[1]The venue opened to the public on Halloween night, beginning its operation as a vaudeville and live-performance house.
- 1903
Building constructed as the Gayety Theater
[1]The theater building was constructed in Pittsburgh as a stage and vaudeville venue.
Products and positioning
A historic Pittsburgh theater venue that preserves an early twentieth-century entertainment landmark while functioning as a contemporary performance and events facility within the Downtown Cultural District.
Performing arts
Live theater and performance programming
The Byham Theater functions primarily as a live-performance venue. Its historical role began with stage and vaudeville presentations, while its contemporary use supports theatrical productions, touring entertainment, concerts, cultural presentations, and other performances scheduled within Pittsburgh's Downtown Cultural District.
Film exhibition
Movie screenings and film events
The building operated as a full-time movie theater under the Fulton name from the 1930s and hosted the 1968 world premiere of Night of the Living Dead. Under the Byham name, film-related screenings and special presentations remain part of the venue's broader event capability.
Events · 2010
Special events and civic presentations
The theater can host presentations that extend beyond standard stage productions. A notable example was the 2010 public showing of the rediscovered 1960 World Series Game Seven recording, accompanied by interviews with figures connected to the game and later broadcast nationally by MLB Network.
Brand decisions
1995
Naming and renovation supported by the Byham familyOtherBackground
A major gift from Carolyn M. Byham and William C. Byham supported further renovation of the theater.
Action taken
The venue adopted the Byham Theater name following the renovation.
Aftermath
The Byham name became the theater's enduring public identity within Pittsburgh's Cultural District.
1990
Pittsburgh Cultural Trust acquisition and refurbishmentM&ABackground
The theater was incorporated into the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust's plan for developing a coordinated Downtown Cultural District.
Action taken
The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust purchased and refurbished the former Fulton Theater.
Aftermath
The building returned to prominence as a multipurpose cultural venue and later received the Byham name.
1930
Conversion from vaudeville house to full-time movie theaterStrategyBackground
The venue changed its identity from the Gayety Theater to the Fulton as cinema became a central form of mass entertainment.
Action taken
The theater was renamed the Fulton and operated as a full-time movie theater.
Aftermath
The Fulton became part of Pittsburgh's film-exhibition history and later hosted the world premiere of Night of the Living Dead.
Recent events
- 2010
Byham Theater hosts first public showing of rediscovered 1960 World Series Game Seven recording[1]
Other
Bob Costas hosted a public presentation of a rediscovered recording of Game Seven of the 1960 World Series. Bill Mazeroski, Dick Groat, and Bobby Richardson participated in interviews, and MLB Network later televised the program nationally.
- 1995
Theater renamed Byham after major renovation gift[1]
Other
A major naming gift from Carolyn M. Byham and William C. Byham supported a renovation, and the venue adopted the Byham Theater name.
- 1990
Pittsburgh Cultural Trust acquires and refurbishes the Fulton Theater[1]
Other
The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust acquired the former Fulton Theater and refurbished it as part of the development of Pittsburgh's Downtown Cultural District.
Sources2 sources
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