Madison Theatre
107 NE Madison Avenue,
Peoria,
IL
61602
107 NE Madison Avenue,
Peoria,
IL
61602
5 people
favorited this theater
Opened in 1920, for local businessman Dee Robinson, the Madison Theatre was designed by Frederic J. Klein. Klein also designed Rockford’s huge Coronado Theatre seven years later.
Designed with an Italian Renaissance exterior and Neo-Classical style interior, the Madison Theatre originally hosted both vaudeville acts and silent films, but switched to sound by the late 1920’s.
Robinson featured annual Christmas shows at the Madison for which children were admitted free of charge. After he died, the practice continued into the 50s.
The auditorium features a high domed ceiling with classical-inspired plasterwork decorating both the ceiling and side walls. The ceiling of the theater’s lobby is also domed, and its facade features extensive terra-cotta work, with a triple-arched window over the marquee.
In 1980, the Madison Theatre was named to the National Register of Historic Places. The last major movie palace built in Peoria, the stunningly restored Madison Theatre continued to draw crowds as a venue for rock concerts and other live acts untuil it closed in 2003. New owners have said they may restore the building, but by 2010, nothing has happened.
Contributed by
Bryan Krefft
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Recent comments (view all 22 comments)
This is another 1985 photo.
Here is the National Register of Historic Places nomination form for the Madison Theater.
The old show-biz saying,Will it play in Peoria.
Here’s a photo circa 1925
And some additional historic info:
Madison Theater architect Klein was based in Peoria and his main offices were just a couple blocks down from this theater on Main St.
The original general contractor for this building was a local firm – Fred Harbers and Sons.
The first general manager of this theater was Herbert D. McNally, formerly of the old Empress theater which was a couple blocks down from the Palace Theater.
My grandparents lived in Peoria, IL which was a first-run theatre town. Thus we were able to see films well ahead of their release in our town at the Palace and the Madison Theatres. At this point my memory is fuzzy separating the two but I do remember the wide sight lines, excellent projection, air conditioning (all-important during hot Peoria summers) and sound, and lovely lobbies. The years when I visited the two theatres were approximately 1961-1975.
The Madison is on the East side of Main St. and the Palace was across from it and down a bit on the West side.
I was at a family function not too many years ago (during the horrible bridge reconstruction project on 74 in Peoria) and stayed at the Pere Marquette Hotel. When I had breakfast just before I headed for home I was gazing at a building which looked oddly familiar and which I later realized was one of the sides of the Madison Theater building. It really had been a long time since I’d been in downtown Peoria!
I understand that the Madison has been used theatrically but not for some time. I hope that it becomes a venue once more. If the Oriental Theatre in Chicago can be re-opened, so can the Madison.
The Madison has been closed since 2003. It is incorrectly listed on this site as open and restored. Neither is true. The theatre is in poor condition and if it does re-open the renovation will take some time. See website below:
www.themadisontheatre.com
I hope that the City of Peoria finds someone with deep pockets (pretty scarce right now) or a sense of creativity to utilize the site again.