New Strand Theatre
111 E. 3rd Street,
West Liberty,
IA
52776
111 E. 3rd Street,
West Liberty,
IA
52776
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Related Websites
New Strand Theatre (Official)
Additional Info
Architects: Charles Dieman, Ferdinand Fiske
Firms: Dieman & Fiske
Functions: Live Performances, Movies (First Run)
Previous Names: West Liberty Opera House, Strand Theatre
Phone Numbers:
Box Office:
319.627.2014
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The West Liberty Opera House was opened in 1910. The second floor above the entrance contained a Knights of Pythias Lodge. It was later renamed New Strand Theatre and became a movie theatre in the early-1920’s. It is adorned with wooden floors, a balcony, and well crafted plasterworks on its ceilings. The screen is 27'x12' and month-old movies run Friday-Monday for $3. Its restoration in 2001 was recognized by Iowa Governor Vilsack.
It was closed in February 2024 due to the projector failing. A fund raising scheme had been set up and in progress to purchase a new projector. It reopened on December 11, 2024.
Contributed by
Matt Bricker
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Recent comments (view all 11 comments)
Featuring Digital Projection and 3D.
Full history below, including the original name it was built as: West Liberty OperaHouse
http://newstrand.com/about-us/history/
The New Strand’s origin as the West Liberty Opera House in 1910 means that it was indeed the project designed by Dieman & Fiske.
Joe Vogel, maybe you can find an address for a theatre in Sidney Iowa, possibly called “The Strand”. Apears to have been in operation in the
40s-60 possibly. I found a photo of it from a distance on that county’s Facebook page. If you find any info maybe add a page for it or I can.Sidney, Iowa, is a very small town, and though I can’t find an address for the Strand Theatre (in fact I haven’t even found the name Strand mentioned) it would almost certainly have been located along one of the streets facing the town’s two-block-long public square. I did find mentions of a house called the Cozy Theatre operating at Sidney in the early 1920s, and there is a July 15, 1963 item in Boxoffice saying that “…the equipment from the theatre at Sidney, Iowa” had been sold, and the building “…remodeled into a ladies' ready-to-wear shop.” The house had last been operated by the city, Boxoffice said.
Thanks, that has to be it. The photo is across a park too. I’ll create a page for it and see what else shakes out.
The theater closed in February 2024 due to a failed projector.
West Liberty, IA: New Strand Theatre Closed While Raising Funds for Projector Replacement [Feb 5, 2024]
The theater is open again:
West Liberty, IA: New Strand Theatre Showing Movies Again [Dec 11, 2024]
The 1914-15 AMPD lists only the Iowa, Grand, and New for West Liberty, so this must have had a different name at that point. Grand is the most obvious choice, since this is a large building.
On the 1912 map, the Knights of Pythias are still shown in the old opera house (NW corner of Calhoun & 3rd). The second floor of this building is just a ‘Hall’. They must have moved in later.
The 1926 Yearbook lists only a New with 500 seats. I’m thinking this has to have been the New. The New name also makes sense because this replaced a large wooden building which was being used as an opera house in 1906. I have found one of the other theaters, but I’m not sure which. I’ll create a listing.