Chicago's Abandoned Movie Palaces

Chicago magazine recently did a beautiful pictorial exposé on Chicago's great abandoned movie palaces.  The piece, which is introduced by Roger Ebert, displays the interiors of these early movie theaters, showing past glory often muddled by decades of decay.  It wasn't that along ago that crowds of thousands would line up down the street to see the showing of one particular film.  Nowadays, with few exceptions, the multiplexes showing dozens of films throughout the day on dozens of different screens have rendered these architectural masterpieces obsolete of their original purpose.

So what is the purpose of this brief article?  First and foremost, to draw attention to oft-forgotten pieces of Windy City history.  Although these particular buildings are in great disrepair, there are organizations out there fighting for funding to help these structures be restored to their former glory.  If you're interested in supporting a historic Chicago cause, there are opportunities here with these movie palaces. Secondly, there are also many historic theater venues that are still in operation, several of which have been recently restored.  The Logan Theatre (Logan Square), Portage Theater, and Patio Theater (both in Portage Park) show that there is still a place in Chicago for grandiose arts venues.  They serve as anchors to commercial centers and community gathering places.

Although we don't have many images, we'd like to share where these theaters are, and how you can help.  So here are Chicago's abandoned (and hopefully soon-to-be-restored) move palaces.

Uptown Theatre

4816 N. Broadway St.

North Side

Community Area: Uptown

Neighborhood: Uptown

Opened: 1925

Closed: 1981

By Train: Red Line to Lawrence

By Bus: Broadway (36), Lawrence (81)

To Help: Chicago's Uptown Theatre Renovation Project

Lawndale Theatre

4015 W. Roosevelt Rd.

West Side

Community Area: North Lawndale

Neighborhood: Lawndale

Opened: 1927

Closed: 1963

By Train: Blue Line to Pulaski (then 1/2 mile south down Pulaski)

By Bus: Pulaski (53), Roosevelt (12)

To Help: Not sure, unfortunately.  But here's a great website with some pictures and history of the Lawndale Theatre.

Central Park Theatre

3535 W. Roosevelt Rd.

West Side

Community Area: North Lawndale

Neighborhood: Lawndale

Opened: 1917

Closed: 1971

By Train: Pink Line to Central Park (then one mile north up Central Park)

By Bus: Pulaski (82), Roosevelt (12)

To Help: Currently serves as the House of Prayer Church of God in Christ.  Unfortunately they don't have a website either, but here's their Yelp page.  Also, here's a nice article on the history of the theater as well.

Ramova Theatre

3518 S. Halsted St.

South Side

Community Area: Bridgeport

Neighborhood: Bridgeport

Opened: 1929

Closed: 1986

By Train: Orange Line to Halsted (then 1.25 miles south down Halsted)

By Bus: Halsted (8), 35th Street (35)

To Help: Friends of South Halsted

Avalon (New Regal) Theatre

1645 E. 79th St.

South Side

Community Area: South Chicago

Neighborhood: South Chicago

Opened: 1927

Closed: Late 1970s

By Train: Metra Electic Line to 79th St./Chatham (then 3/4 miles east down 79th)

By Bus: Stony Island (28), South Chicago (30), 79th Street (79)

To Help: Recently reopened!

Chicago's abandoned movie palaces, and their proximity from The Loop

Uptown Theatre (Uptown)

Ramova Theatre (Bridgeport)