Tivoli Theatre
35 W. Galena Boulevard,
Aurora,
IL
60506
35 W. Galena Boulevard,
Aurora,
IL
60506
1 person
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Opening in 1928, one of Aurora’s larger movie houses after the Paramount Theatre (which was, like the Tivoli Theatre, designed by Rapp & Rapp), the Tivoli Theatre could seat over 1,000. It shared a building with a bowling alley.
The Tivoli Theatre was closed in 1981, and has since been torn down.
Contributed by
Bryan Krefft
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Recent comments (view all 12 comments)
Here are some 1983 photos:
http://tinyurl.com/djepp3
http://tinyurl.com/c6s993
I grew up in Aurora and took this picture while attending a parade:
View link
This is a rather sad picture of the Tivoli, a theatre that I frequented as a kid. This must have been just before it was demolished.
Anyone come aqcross any interior photos, I came into a packet of interior photos of the Tivoli Theatre but it doesn’t give the city, I have looked through most of the Tivoli theatres on CT but no matches.
I have never seen any interior pictures of the Tivoli. I was a kid when I went there so I don’t really remember it very well. My parents seem to remember it a bit. I hope to get to the Aurora Historical Society in the near future with the intentions of finding pictures of the interior of the Tivoli and also the Isle (another downtown Aurora theatre). Chuck, can you scan one of two of your pictures and put them on line? Maybe my parents would recognize them.
I found this nice picture of the Tivoli from back in the good old days:
View link
Was W. Main changed to a different street name, W. Main will not map for Aurora. It comes up Warrenville, Il.
Yes, Main Street was changed to Galena Blvd. I believe this happened in the 1950s.
The Tivoli / Paramount was my first job as manager for Plitt Theatres in 1976. The Paramount was only open for about a month until the city took it over to convert to a performing arts center. The interior of the Tivoli auditorium had beautiful light window wells in the side walls, but the chandelier was long gone by the time I was there. Until seeing the photo from the glory days, I had no idea that there used to be a vertical sign. Not only was there a bowling alley underneath (we leaked onto the lanes if we spilled water in the mop closet!), but a ballroom above the lobby. I remember many Saturday evenings when our lobby echoed with the sounds of dancing from the floor above. One of my funniest memories: a muskrat from the neighboring Fox River got into our outer lobby, and my DM was chasing it around until he got it outside.
I was managing this treasure when DAL arrived to rescue me. Plitt was operating it at the time. In fact, Plitt was operating the Paramount as well. There was only one manager for both locations. While I was there I had to open the Tivoli or the Paramount first,then, run down the block to open the other. It kept you in shape. It was also excellent training in the fine points of show scheduling. I was the last Plitt manager at the Paramount. Here is a tidbit that I suppose someone might remember. Shortly before DAL took over the Tivoli a projectionist named Carl died in the booth during a show on a Saturday night in the spring. Wasn’t that fun? I had to practically physically push the projectionist from the Paramount down the street to get the show running again after Carl had been taken away by the EMT’s. I think we were running “The Omen” at the time.
LPK youu have made some great and informative comments. You can tell you were one of the old showmanship managers.