Gilded Manos engraving revealed after 15 coats of paint stripped from Palace Theatre ticket booth

The intricate, decorative details of The Palace Theatre ticket booth were lost to 10 decades and 15 coats of paint.

But now that the layers have been scraped away as part of a large restoration project in preparation for the Greensburg theater’s 100th anniversary, the old-time grandeur is visible once again.

“All the beautiful, ornate details have been hidden for probably the better part of at least 40 or 50 years,” said Nick Zalich, director of facilities and operations at the Westmoreland Cultural Trust. “We’re just trying to get the history back into The Palace.”

That has come in unexpected ways — as layers of paint were stripped away during the ticket booth project, it revealed the original gilt paint and Manos engraving, hearkening to its early days as the Manos Theatre.

“We’re very proud of our history,” said Daniel Stainer, director of marketing and patron experience. “I think you can still be The Palace Theatre, but make tribute to the original founders.”

A 100th anniversary celebration is in the works for 2026.

The Palace opened Sept. 2, 1926, as the Manos Theatre. Vaudeville played an important role in the venue’s history.

A playbill for the opening night of the Manos, from the trust’s archives, lists a number of vaudeville-type acts and movies. Over the decades, it has played host to numerous acts, including the Glenn Miller Orchestra, Tammy Wynette, George Carlin, Jonas Brothers, John Oates, the Beach Boys, Jefferson Starship, Wiz Khalifa and a host of touring stage shows and musicals, as well as local performers.

During the latter days of the Manos, it was strictly a movie theater with various owners before being purchased in 1977 and renamed The Palace Theatre with more live acts. It was acquired in 1990 by the Greensburg Garden and Civic Center, predecessor of the Westmoreland Cultural Trust.

The French Renaissance-style Palace, with a 1,369-seat theater, draws crowds from around the region.

They will be greeted by the ticket booth’s new look, starting soon, Zalich said.

“We just started to pick away and peel away to see what we came up with,” he said.

Once the old white paint is cleared, the ticket booth will be cleaned and prepared for painting and sealing. The Manos engraving that had been covered up by white paint and “PT” in script in a shield near the booth’s roof will remain.

“I believe we’re going to leave the gold and do the black antiquing,” Zalich said.

The ticket booth project, a month in the making, is part of renovations and changes around the theater in a large undertaking being spearheaded by trust Chief Executive Officer Benjamin Luczak. Recently completed were updates to the theater and stage roof and air conditioning, Stainer said.

Planned work and improvements are ongoing on the inside and outside signage and marquee, concession layout, websites and the patron experience, among others. The project will culminate with a 100th anniversary celebration that is still being planned, he said.

The updates and restoration could mean that the ticket booth will be more of a part of the experience of coming to the theater in the future.

“It really hasn’t been used in a full capacity,” Stainer said.

Four glass cases that line the walkway from West Otterman Street advertising upcoming shows will be replaced with digital versions, but the borders — with the Manos written on them — will remain, Zalich said. White stucco on the walls might come down, but he said he needs to do more research to see if the white terra-cotta tile suspected to be underneath is actually there.

Zalich and his crew are on a daily time crunch. They are typically approached by passersby during the day who inquire about the work while keeping in mind that showgoers will start to arrive in the early evening.

“We literally work on it all day and then clean up,” he said.