Tivoli Theatre

DAL on March 1, 2012 at 10:49 am

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.

Chuck1231 on August 19, 2010 at 9:12 am

Was W. Main changed to a different street name, W. Main will not map for Aurora. It comes up Warrenville, Il.

Bruce on August 4, 2009 at 3:43 pm

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.

Bruce on June 30, 2009 at 12:09 pm

I grew up in Aurora and took this picture while attending a parade:

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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.

foxvalleyhome on September 21, 2006 at 1:40 pm

I had lots of fond memories of Aurora’s Tivoli Theater. In the late 60s to early 70s the Tivoli was a popular hangout. The inside of the theater looked very close to the Paramount Theater just across the street. The primary color was a deep red or burgundy with some off shades of red. There were some gold trims as well. The enormous crystal chandelier in the auditorium was identical to the one in the Paramount Theater complete with the starburst design painted on the ceiling surrounding it using a burgundy scheme. The Tivoli was a great place to catch a movie and at times live performances. Towards the end of this theaters life around the late 70s the theater was used to show Spanish films and burlesque type show with men in drag. What a sad way to go.