Princess Theatre

330 N. Main Street,
Rushville, IN 46173

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Additional Info

Previously operated by: Affiliated Theaters Inc. (Indianapolis)

Architects: Herbert William Foltz

Functions: Movies (First Run), Office Space

Previous Names: Vaudet Theatre

Nearby Theaters

Princess Theatre

The Vaudet Theatre was opened on August 27, 1907 it was used for live performances, including plays and later vaudeville. It was owned by the FreeMasons and in 1915 it was renamed Princess Theatre. In 1936, the theatre became a movie house. By 1950, the Princess Theatre was operated by Affiliated Theaters Inc, of Indianapolis, IN. It remained in operation into the late-1980’s but then sat vacant for several decades.

A group founded in 2002, Princess Theatre, Inc., with the intention of restoring the theatre to its 1930’s appearance to use the Princess Theatre to show movies and for community gatherings. The Masons owned the building until 2014 and it was sold to the City of Rushville who funded the restoration and the upsairs Lodge rooms were converted into City Hall. It was expected to cost nearly $200,000 to restore the theatre. Following restoration, it was reopened on December 1, 2018 screening first run movies.

Contributed by Bryan

Recent comments (view all 19 comments)

buffettpdog1
buffettpdog1 on September 4, 2015 at 1:42 pm

The Princess is now open for business on a limited basis. It has shown two movies and his preparing to show its third, Gone with the Wind on 26 Sept. The interior of the theatre has been demolished and the City is working to begin restoration of the interior and exterior. Follow the progress for the theatre on Facebook at princess theatre restoration

buffettpdog1
buffettpdog1 on September 25, 2016 at 9:38 pm

More good news for The Princess Theatre. A partnership has been reached with Wolf Theaters, a regional movie chain of Greensburg, Indiana to show first run movies along with classic films and live performances.

Restoration of The Princess Theatre will begin this fall with complete restoration to be completed by the end of 2017.

buffettpdog1
buffettpdog1 on April 29, 2018 at 9:20 am

The Princess is in the middle of a $3 million dollar renovation. The top floor is being converted to a new City Hall, the former commercial area will be a branch of a community college and The Princess will be showing first run movies, classic movies, concerts and live performances begining later this year. If I can figure out how to post photos, I will.

buffettpdog1
buffettpdog1 on November 18, 2018 at 7:10 pm

The Princess Theatre Restoration Committee is proud to announce The Princess Theatre, after a multi million dollar renovation, will open the first week of December as a first run theater. We will be showing multiple first run movies daily. Come out and see a first run movie in a classic theater

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES on December 9, 2025 at 8:22 pm

The Vaudet Theatre opened its doors on August 27, 1907 and was first managed by J. Walter Wilson.

Trolleyguy
Trolleyguy on December 10, 2025 at 10:44 am

Renovation story here. The building also serves as a city hall and college satellite campus.

Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on December 10, 2025 at 11:40 am

The Vaudette Theatre that opened in 1907 was in a different building, at 303 N. Main Street. It was still listed at that address in the 1914-1915 AMPD, and appears there on the 1913 Sanborn map of Rushville. The Masonic Lodge building which holds the current theater was still under construction in May, 1914.

Another error in the description is that the Masons own the building. The Masons owned the building until 2014, when it was sold to the City of Rushville, who carried out the renovations and converted the upstairs lodge rooms into their new City Hall.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES on February 28, 2026 at 10:04 am

The Princess Theatre originally closed on July 23, 2000 with “The Patriot”, and sat vacant for 18 years for restoration until reopening on December 1, 2018.

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