Arcada Theater
105 E. Main Street,
St. Charles,
IL
60174
105 E. Main Street,
St. Charles,
IL
60174
16 people
favorited this theater
Showing 1 - 25 of 110 comments found
When this theatre only had two triplexes as competition, it could churn out some big boxoffice numbers with a good booking. A couple of interesting facts: (1) Aside from a theatre organ, there was also a turntable in the stage floor. (2) When a would-be burglar broke in and attempted to rob the house safe, all they were able to do was to ruin the dial and make it impossible to access. The safe and its contents were left alone, since it was going to cost more to access the safe than the house fund contained!
Heres some more photos
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Here a recent photo
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Here are some other photos
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Too bad the last two photos don’t show the marquee just the verticle.
Here are some photos of the newly restored marquee
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1926 arcada Theatre Auditorium.
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More photos of the Arcada Organ.
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1929 Exterior
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Current Exterior
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Organ
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Auditorium
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A couple more photos of the Arcade Theatre. Click each photo for a larger view.
http://www.agilitynut.com/06/7/arcada.jpg
http://www.agilitynut.com/06/7/arcada2.jpg
This is a working link for the Arcada website.
Here is a July 2009 photo.
The Theatre Historial Society lists this theatre as opeing on Sept. 6, 1926 with seating listed at the time of opening at 900.
This is a nice close-up photo.
Here are two 1984 photos:
Photo1
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This is an October 2008 photo.
Another photo can be seen here.
A b/w photo can be seen here.
This is a recent night view.
Here is a close-up view of the Arcada Theater.
I am so glad that the Arcada will go on. My Dad was a projectionist there in the 50’s and early 60’s. I can remember seeing the Ten Commandments there and I will always remember that. I can also remember the ladder that my Dad had to climb to reach the projection booth. I don’t know how he did it every day. I remember the Saturday matinees showing all of our favorite cartoons on the large screen. I am glad that another generation will be able to enjoy a great theater.
Good afternoon! As a member of Onesti Entertainment, I wanted to stop by and thank you all for your enthusiastic support of The Arcada! As youâ€\ve noted, Onesti Entertainment has taken over the management of the Theatre. You can keep track of our shows by visiting www.TheArcada.com If you are interested in receiving our email newsletters, feel free to email me () and Iâ€\ll add you to the list.
As I believe has been mentioned here, there are still movies shown at The Arcada. You will frequently see silent movies shown with live organ music, as well as film fests, classic flicks, and favorite pop culture movies like “Rocky Horror Picture Show.†We also have live events, such as concerts, ballet, theater and community events.
Restoring The Arcada is a work of love for Ron Onesti, owner of Onesti Entertainment. He is enthusiastic about maintaining the original splendor of the theatre while introducing new generations to the fun and excitement of a classic theatre. If you have any suggestions or requests, we would be happy to hear from you.
Thank you again for your support of The Arcada Theater!
Joia Noel Lucht
Director of Festivals & Special Events
Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1994
Arcada Theater Building (added 1994 – Building – #94000977)
Also known as The Arcada
105 E. Main St. and 1st Ave., St. Charles
Historic Significance: Architecture/Engineering, Event
Architect, builder, or engineer: Norris, Lester J., Behrns, Elmer F.
Architectural Style: Moderne, Mission/Spanish Revival
Area of Significance: Architecture, Entertainment/Recreation
Period of Significance: 1925-1949
Owner: Private
Historic Function: Commerce/Trade, Recreation And Culture, Social
Historic Sub-function: Business, Meeting Hall, Restaurant, Specialty Store, Theater
Current Function: Commerce/Trade, Recreation And Culture
Current Sub-function: Business, Restaurant, Specialty Store, Theater
Russell Phillips Photo:
Arcada Auditorium, 1986
I went to the 80th anniversary vaudeville show, and I really thought that Onesti group and the three sheeters club that put on the show did a great job of re-creating what I think must have been what a true vaudeville show was like back then. It was very enjoyable. Good job.
This is a recent photo of the Arcada Theater.