Sycamore State Theater

420 W. State Street,
Sycamore, IL 60178

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Related Websites

Sycamore State Theater (Official)

Additional Info

Previously operated by: Main Street Theatres

Functions: Movies (First Run)

Styles: Streamline Moderne

Previous Names: Fargo Theatre, State Theatre

Phone Numbers: Box Office: 815.895.3549
Manager: 815.895.2301

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News About This Theater

Daryl Hopper, owner

The 900-seat Fargo Theater was opened on December 12, 1925. It was equipped with a Geneva pipe organ. It was closed on November 2, 1938, but reopened later that month with 491 seats. On August 6, 1940 it was renamed State Theater. It once contained a 60-foot-screen. The State Theater was closed in the 1970’s and became a church.

It became a theater once again in the late-1980’s and was completely renovated by a private individual with the desire to run films and have live musical entertainment. The idea collapsed quickly and the theater remained closed in spite of having just been completely renovated.

In 1990, Main Street Theatres bought and reopened the State Theater after splitting the main floor into two theaters. A year later, the stage was converted into a third screen and the now triplexed theater still shows first run films today. Seating capacities are: 208, 188 & 160.

Contributed by Mark Gulbrandsen

Recent comments (view all 6 comments)

sycotheatre
sycotheatre on March 12, 2005 at 9:07 am

This is the current owner of The Sycamore State Theatre. The theatre was built in 1925 and opened in December 12 of 1925. It opened under the name The Fargo Theatre. In 1940 Fargo sold the theatre and it became the state theatre. The theatre has 3 theatres, number 1 has 208 seats, number 2 has 188 seats, and number 3 has 160 seats. The phone number of the theatre is 815.895.2301. You can also call that number to get information.

Broan
Broan on July 29, 2005 at 7:41 pm

There seem to have been three Fargo Theatres in the area. The others are listed here as the Geneva which is clearly a sister theatre to this, and the (New) Fargo. As of 1930, the Geneva theatre had been renamed, this was known as Fargo, and the one in DeKalb was known as the New Fargo. All were owned by the Polka Brothers circuit of Maywood at the time, along with the El Tovar, Deerpath, Pickwick, and Des Plaines. In 1923 they also owned the New Maywood, Yale, and Melrose Park.

Broan
Broan on September 17, 2007 at 10:41 am

Former Geneva Mayor (1903-04, 1907-10) and State Representative (1910-1912) Henry B. Fargo died in 1932, so it must have been sold by his estate if the sale took place in 1940. The Sycamore State’s web page is http://sycamoremovietheater.com/default.aspx

stormdog
stormdog on June 24, 2010 at 10:33 am

I just shot a couple of pictures of the State while on the way through Sycamore at sunset yesterday. Here are links to them:

View link
View link

Theatres are one of my photographic ‘collections’; I have a bunch more to post when I get the time.

ormazd72
ormazd72 on June 28, 2018 at 3:37 am

Uploaded a Film Daily reference to closing on 11/2/1938.

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