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Chicago Movie Theatres

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Patio Theatre
Chicago, IL
The Patio Theatre opened in 1927. The atmospheric auditorium had twinkling stars and moving clouds on the ceiling. The theatre has been closed since 2001. Restoration began in 2010. The theatre reopened in 2011 and closed shortly after that. It reopened again in 2016. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2. [map]

Uptown Theatre
Chicago, IL		 Aragon Ballroom
Chicago, IL
The Uptown Theatre was designed by Rapp & Rapp in a lush Spanish Baroque style. The theatre opened in 1925 and is the biggest free-standing theatre ever built. The main entrance is six stories high with a domed ceiling. The auditorium can seat over 4,000 people. The theatre has been closed since the 1980s. The theatre is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 2014, the building was sold. In 2018, restoration work began. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2. [map]

The Aragon Ballroom was never a theatre but I'm including it here for its movie palace style. The Aragon was built in 1926 at a cost of over $2 million. The atmospheric interior was meant to replicate a Spanish courtyard. Big bands and other entertainers played here from the 1920s-1940s. By the 1950s, attendance was declining and in the 1960s, it became a skating rink. Other uses followed: a forum for boxing and wrestling, a disco, a big band revival performances, and rock concerts. In the 1970s, the Aragon was renovated and became a concert hall for various live acts and private functions. For more, see this website. [map]

former Oriental Theatre
Chicago, IL		 New Regal Theatre
Chicago, IL
The Oriental Theatre was designed by Rapp & Rapp and opened in 1926. The theatre closed in 1981 and remained closed until restoration in 1996. It reopened as the Ford Center for the Performing Arts in 1998. These photos are from 2006. In 2019, the theatre became the James M. Nederlander Theatre. The signs were adapted for the new name. For more, see these websites: 1, 2, and 3. [map]

The New Regal Theatre was designed by John Eberson and opened as the Avalon Theatre in 1927. The atmospheric auditorium featured a star-filled sky and a huge, hanging oriental carpet. It closed in the late 1970s and became home to the Miracle Temple Church. In 1987, it was converted into a performing arts venue. At this time, it was renamed the New Regal Theater, in honor of Chicago's Regal Theater, which was demolished after a devastating fire in the early 1970s. The theatre closed again in 2002. Starting in 2007, it was used occasionally for live performances. The theatre closed in 2010 and has been vacant since then. For more, see this website. [map]

Logan Theatre
Chicago, IL		 Chicago Theatre
Chicago, IL
The Logan Theatre opened in 1915 as the Paramount Theatre. It is now a four-screen multiplex. For more, see this website. [map]

The Chicago Theatre was called the "Wonder Theatre of the World" when it opened in 1921. It was designed by Rapp & Rapp at a cost of $4 million. The exterior features a mini Arc de Triomphe above the marquee. Both the arch and marquee are six stories tall. The interior makes reference to other Parisian architecture. In 1986, the theatre was saved from demolition and restored as a performing arts venue. For more, see these websites: 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. [map]

Music Box Theatre
Chicago, IL
The Music Box Theatre opened in 1929. By the 1970s, it was showing Spanish and Arabic language movies and eventually porn. It closed in 1977. It reopened in 1983 after being renovated. For more, see these websites: 1, 2, and 3. [map]

Biograph Theatre
Chicago, IL		 Ramova Theatre
Chicago, IL
The Biograph Theatre was designed by Samuel N. Crowen and built in 1914. The theatre is best known as the location where John Dillinger was shot and killed in 1934. Between 2004 and 2006, the theatre was renovated. The interior was completely rebuilt and a replica of the 1930s marquee was installed. The theatre reopened in 2006 as the Victory Gardens Theater at the Biograph. It is now a live performance venue. For more, see these websites: 1, 2, and 3. [map]

The Ramova Theatre opened in 1929 as a "sister" to the Music Box Theater described above. The interior was designed in an atmospheric style, resembling a Spanish courtyard with twinkling stars. The theatre closed in 1985 and has been vacant since then. In 2021, renovations began to reopen the theatre and add a restaurant. For more, see this website. [map]

Riviera Theatre
Chicago, IL		 Marshall Square Theatre
Chicago, IL
The Riviera Theatre was designed by Rapp & Rapp and opened in 1918. It closed in the mid-1980s and became a nightclub. It was later converted into a concert venue. For more, see this website. [map]

The Marshall Square Theatre opened in 1917. It was designed by Alexander Levy. The insensitive blade sign installation took place during a remodeling in 1936. The theatre closed in the 1970s. In the 1990s, it reopened as a concert hall and was renamed Apollo's 2000. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2. [map]

More Chicago:
Cadillac Palace Theatre
Esquire Theatre
Gateway Theatre (Copernicus Center)
Portage Theatre

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