Entrance to the Warner Theatre in Erie, Pennsylvania, the state’s fourth-largest city that does, indeed, lie on the banks of Lake Erie — one of the United States’ five “Great Lakes.” The Art Deco and French Renaissance-styled theater was designed by Chicago architects Rapp and Rapp and opened in 1931. It was used as a movie theater until 1976, when it was sold to the City of Erie. In the early 1980s, Erie converted the theater to a performing arts center, which helped stir a downtown revival. The Warner's Grand Lobby has capacity for up to 500 persons for a reception. Photo by Carol Highsmith, 2019.