Plaza Theatre

The Auditorium Theatre launched November 22, 1890 in downtown Galesburg. The ambitious 1,300 seat, three-storied venue was designed by William Wolf. With its fresco ceilings, cathedral glass and impressive look, the Auditorium Theatre was the premiere showplace in the area until the arrival of the Orpheum Theatre.

Poet/writer Carl Sandburg worked at the Auditorium Theatre and among the performers who played the venue were the Marx Brothers and John Philip Sousa’s band. But when the Orpheum Theatre arrived in 1916, the Auditorium Theatre had to change business models. The venue changed names in 1916 to become the Plaza Theatre and was equipped for motion pictures. In 1921, ownership change to Publix Great States Theatres Circuit brought seat count down 1,091 and new projection with what was described as the best equipped booth in the United States.

But by the end of 1927, the Plaza Theatre was down to just two-day operation on Saturdays and Sundays. Publix appeared to have held on to the theatre to keep it out of competitor’s hands in the sound era and the theatre was largely used for live events until its closure in the summer of 1935.

In 1943, the Plaza Theatre was sold at an auction held at city hall. The facility was used by a local glass company. It then sat vacant. The historic structure was razed by the city of Galesburg in June of 2014 after standing for almost 125 years.

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