A downtown Los Angeles icon is closing up shop — for now, at least. The owners of the historic The Mayan announced Monday it will cease to operate as a nightclub and music venue in September.
A notable example of the 1920s Mayan Revivalism architectural movement, The Mayan, located at 1038 South Hill Street, opened in 1927 as a venue for musical theater. It changed ownership several times over the ensuing decades and has been a movie venue specializing in Spanish language cinema and in the 1970s and 1980s was a pornographic theater. It was purchased by its current owners in 1990, and reopened the same year as a nightclub.
“Farwell from the Mayan,” the owners announced in a statement posted on Instagram. “It is with heavy yet grateful hearts that we announce The Mayan will be closing its doors at the end of September, after 35 unforgettable years.”
After thanking patrons and friends, the statement continued, “Before we take our final curtain call, we invite you to join us on the dancefloor every Saturday night through Sept. 13 for one last celebration of everything The Mayan has meant to us all.”
The building is unlikely to be demolished, as it has been declared an official historic landmark by the city of Los Angeles. However, the owners have not said what they plan to do with the property after it ceases to operate as a nightclub.
The Mayan was designed with input from Mexican anthropologist and sculptor Francisco Cornejo, with the building’s exterior and interior based on the art and artifacts of pre-Columbian American societies.
