Lyceum Theater
177 Main Street,
Danbury,
CT
06810
177 Main Street,
Danbury,
CT
06810
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I was doing research for a book at WCSU’s University Archives and found in the 1908 city directory under the theaters section, the Lyceum. I have never seen this theater listed in any history of Danbury so this really took me by surprise. It was located at 177 Main Street (now across the street from the Public Library). 177 Main Street is next to now, Nico’s Italian Restaurant and is a two-story building, now housing two doors on the facade at either end and housing tenants. Now we know that there were three theaters on this side of the street at this particular block of buildings, other than the Empress and the Palace. Quite a find.
Contributed by
Dave Bonan
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Recent comments (view all 12 comments)
i only saw it in the 1908 directory and no other directories before or after. i guess it could have been live theatre, it didn’t designate. some of the directories would designate which types of events and then some years it would say nothing.
Frequently in that era a theatre that you find was only around for a year or two was one of those old storefront movie theatres. Maybe that was it. I don’t know. I’ll check out the building when I’m in Danbury this coming Sunday.
roger, email me and we’ll see if we can open the fine arts in brookfield for you. as long as you give us assistance credits for your photos! :) ()
Some new information on what this theater used to be called. As i’ve posted many times, i was doing research on my book today and found the information in the microfilms of the city directory. The 1907 Directory lists the theatre first named “Wonderland Theatre”, and the above information i listed has it change names to “Lyceum”. The Wonderland’s address was 177 Main Street.
The Lyceum lasted from its first listing in 1908 and was last listed in the 1909 directory.
I drove by this building after I went to the Danbury Trashers game on Sunday. It really does not look like a theatre. if there was a theatre in here it must’ve been of the storerfront variety.
I’m very happy today. I was doing research at the Danbury Museum for an unrelated project the last few days and found many pictures of the Palace, Capitol and Empress Theatres, and not just the traditional “Images of America” book pictures. I’ve found countless viewspoints including aerial!!!
I did find a large book of maps from 1909 that had very exact parcels of houses and businesses. The Lyceum was listed and I snapped some pics.
Unfortunately, I cannot post pics still, so I’ll send them over to Roger Katz. For folks interested in these great black and white and some color photos, I’d be happy to email them to you in a zipped file. They are great.
My grandfather, who died in 1918, had worked at opening new theaters and running their movie projectors. I have a photograph of him and two other men standing in front of the Lyceum Theater in Danbury, CT.
well then, now that the photos are enabled, send away. and i can also get them on file at the Danbury Museum. email:
Not sure why this is listed as demolished. The building is still there.
However, which building? 177 Main Street is a small building, but certainly could have housed a storefront theatre. The tall building that the first comment on this page refers to is the one next door at 183 Main Street.