Virginia Theater
About this property
The Virginia Theatre is a live performance and movie theatre in downtown Champaign, Illinois. It has been providing theatrical and cinematic entertainment to the Champaign-Urbana community since its doors opened in 1921. Each year, the Virginia Theatre is host to movies from film reels, plays from various acting troupes, concerts, and Ebertfest, presented by the UIUC College of Media. It is currently owned by the Champaign Park District. The Virginia Theatre opened December 28, 1921 with a live stage performance of The Bat. The following night, the silent films Tol'able David and The Boat were shown at the theatre. Since then, it has been presenting movies, live concerts, and plays to the Champaign-Urbana community and has only been closed for short periods of renovation by the Park District. Until recently, the Virginia Theatre was privately owned. From the 1930s to the 1960s, RKO Pictures held ownership. Subsequently, George Kerasotes Corporation (GKC Theatres) owned the building until it was sold to the Virginia Theater Group, a not-for-profit organization, organized for that purpose in the 1990s. The Champaign Park District purchased it in January 2000. The theatre was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2003, based on its historical role in providing a wide variety of entertainment to Champaign and surrounding area, particularly in the years between 1921 and 1953. Of note were theatrical productions, vaudeville, concerts, and motion pictures. Also noteworthy was the building's state of preservation and the integrity of its original early to mid 20th century roots. A major part of the Virginia Theatre is its restoration. In December 1999, the Champaign Park District received a $900,000 grant from the State of Illinois to restore the then run-down theatre. Extensive work was done to bring the building up to current code, most of it not visible to the general public. In 2000, the curved movie screen that had been in place for decades was replaced with a smaller screen (50-foot wide viewable image) which can be flown offstage. Additional restrooms were completed in 2001. Box office renovation, dressing room remodeling, and carpet replacement took place in 2002-2003. The east lobby/storefront was remodeled during 2007, and the main lobbies and concession stand were renovated and redecorated in 2010, thanks to a considerable donation from Michael Carragher. The decaying 1930s-era neon marquee was removed from the theatre on November 16, 2010, and it was replaced with a newly designed marquee in September 2011, in spite of opposition from many community members and historic preservation advocates.
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Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).
Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
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Questions about this property
When was Virginia Theater listed on the National Register?
Virginia Theater was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on November 28, 2003.
What type of historic resource is Virginia Theater?
Virginia Theater is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.
What is the period of significance for Virginia Theater?
The period of significance for Virginia Theater is recorded as the industrial era.
Can I research the history near Virginia Theater?
Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Virginia Theater will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.
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