Gillioz Theatre
325 Park Central East,
Springfield,
MO
65806
325 Park Central East,
Springfield,
MO
65806
14 people
favorited this theater
Showing 26 - 45 of 45 comments found
This site has a few interior photos.
This theater is open. For the person that enjoys marquee photos, here is a recent photo.
This is the Gillioz marquee on YouTube.
A Wurlitzer theater organ opus 1411 style “D” was installed in the Gillioz Theater on 8/9/1926.
Status should be changed to Open. Reopened in October 2006!
Their webpage (link above) has a great photo gallery with historic and current photos throughout the interior.
Events calendar shows an interesting and wide-range of events. Comedy nights, broadway touring productions, fund raisers, high school reunions, quitye a few private events. It’s turned into quite a community resource!
Here is a vintage photo of the Gillioz Theater.
Nice to see that the restoration is complete! From the pictures and website it seems a job well done. Congrats to all of those involved. I’ll have to check it out again next time I’m in Springfield. There was still a lot of work to be done when we toured this theatre in 2004 on the THSA Conclave listed above & I remember the story about Elvis being spotted here at one time.
I’ve recently posted some photos of the Gillioz to my photobucket.com album: search GILLIOZ and THEATRE. Saw several movies there during the 50s, and remember the place as Springfield’s nicest downtowner at that time.
This is a 2007 photo of the Gillioz Theater.
Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1991
Gillioz Theater (added 1991 – Building – #91000887)
325 Park Central E., Springfield
Historic Significance: Architecture/Engineering, Event
Architect, builder, or engineer: Jacobs,Fred, Larsen,L.P.
Architectural Style: Mission/Spanish Revival
Area of Significance: Architecture, Entertainment/Recreation
Period of Significance: 1925-1949
Owner: Private
Historic Function: Recreation And Culture
Historic Sub-function: Theater
Current Function: Vacant/Not In Use
Address:
325 Park Central E
Springfield, MO 65806
Here is a recent photo of the Gillioz Theater and this is a close-up view.
It might be a move-over theatre for the Moxie as well as a theatre for the performing arts.
If you click on the official Gillioz Theatre web site listed in the description, you’ll see that the front entrance was recessed with a free-standing ticket booth. The photo above is obviously a temporary wall with a utilitarian door. Like the type of thing you’d see at a construction site.
This is a photo of the Gillioz Theater in Springfield.
Yes, it really is that narrow. The auditorium itself is on the back side of the block. It’s just east of the square. The former Fox Theatre (actually on the square, and now a church) in Springfield is the same way. The Fox theatre in Joplin, Mo is similar, with an enclosed “bridge” connecting the lobby on Main street to the auditorium on the other side of an alley.
Is that a really narrow front entrance for an 1100-seat theater, or does the photo just make it look that way?
Tour of Missouri, Oklahoma and Kansas Theatres in 2004
From June 26 through July 1, 2004 the Theatre Historical Society of America will tour a number of theatres in Kansas City Missouri and surrounding areas, including theatres in Lamar, Joplin, Richmond, St. Joseph and Springfield, MO, as well as Miami, OK, and these cities in Kansas: Leavenworth, Kansas City, Emporia, El Dorado, Augusta, Wichita, Hutchinson, McPherson, Salina, Concordia, and Topeka. More information is contained on their web site: http://www.HistoricTheatres.org and special photos and information concerning the Kansas City theatres: UPTOWN and the MIDLAND is available on this temporary page of their site at: http://www2.hawaii.edu/~angell/thsa/fromarch.html A glossy brochure about this “Heart of America” Conclave is available from the Society’s headquarters listed on their homepage, via E-mail to the Ex. Director, or via snail mail. Membership in the Society is not required to attend the Conclave and tour the theatres, but fees do apply as detailed on their site. Bring your camera and lots of film, for it is usually difficult or impossible to enter these theatres for photos, and some of them will surely not be with us in the years to come.
The last chain that operated the Gillioz was Dickinson Theatres; I believe its style could have considered “art deco” or perhaps “classic”?? If anyone knows of someone in the SW MO area who might want to donate to this restoration – please, let me know!
Has anyone else applied for the “digital film equipment” donation from LHAT and Emerging Pictures (NY)? I am on the advisory board for the Gillioz Theatre in Springfield, MO., and submitted an application. I was just curious to know if anyone has applied and/or actually received anything?
It’s different the architect named the theater after him, makes me wanna become an architect!