Belpark Theatre
3231 N. Cicero Avenue,
Chicago,
IL
60641
3231 N. Cicero Avenue,
Chicago,
IL
60641
5 people
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The Belpark Theatre opened on March 12, 1927 as part of the Lubliner & Trinz circuit. It was located on Cicero Avenue near Belmont Avenue in the Belmont Cragin neighborhood.
This 2,000-plus seat theater was designed by E.P. Steinberg and once contained a 3/17 Barton theater organ. In spring of 1930, the Belpark Theatre was taken over by the Balaban & Katz chain, which operated it for the remainder of its career as a movie house.
The Belpark Theatre closed as a movie theater in the mid-1950’s and after periods of use as a warehouse and later, a banquet facility, the building today serves as a bingo hall.
Contributed by
Ray Martinez
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Recent comments (view all 27 comments)
Named for being in BELmont PARK.
Opened 5:00pm, Saturday March 12, 1927.
Closed 1957, only 40 years!
Started out with movies, but also had Vaudeville on Saturday and Sunday.
A Barton Theater Pipe Organ 3/17 (Manual/Rank Keyboards/Sets of Pipes)was installed in 1927. Dan Barton’s Barton Organ Company of Oshkosh Wisconsin started building theater pipe organs in 1918 and was the fifth largest builder of theater pipe organs.
There is no record of what happened to the organ, any of it left in the building, anyone know?
Have any old photos of the theater or more info?
Manteno, Illinois
MP 47 on the IC/CN RR Mainline of Mid-America
Named for being on the border of BELmont-Cragin and Portage PARK. There is no such thing as Belmont Park.
1927-1957 was 30 years.
THS has a few old photos.
Hello Broan . . Who is THS (with photos)? A website? Jim Mooney
Theatre Historical Society of America.
Broan, My parents and grandparents lived on the Northside, but I was raised on the Southside (still a CUBS Fan). Seems to me they talked about Belmont Park, but I must have got it all mixed up with Belmont Central, Gardens & Cragin along with the Parks of Portage, Hombolt and Albany. Can’t ask them now, they are all at that great movie palace in in the sky.
The old Chief’s not so great at math either, 30 years for the Bepark is even worse!
Chief Jensen
From the Encyclopedia of Chicago: “In the 1930s the community area became known as Belmont Cragin. Builders inundated the area to fill the housing needs of area workers. Bungalows, Cape Cods, and two-flats offered a range of housing type choices. Especially popular was the subdivided residential neighborhood on the eastern border named Belmont Park.”
Maybe it was Belmont Park, then, but the theater itself was north of the Belmont Park border (Belmont, Laramie, Diversey, and the Northwestern Tracks). What I meant was that Belmont Park is not an official Neighborhood or Community Area name, but a subdivision within a neighborhood.
I wonder if the stage was removed or covered up with drapes. Wonder if it is still there. I assume the seating was removed when it was a banquet hall. But I bet the kino booth is still buried up there..
the stage is still there but some floors have been inserted, most of it is the kitchen. the booth is still up there empty.
The Belpark has been named as an alternative venue for the Chicago Tabernacle Church to consider acquiring as its new home instead of the Portage Theater, which the Six Corners community is strongly against.