Palace Theater

437 Main Street,
Peoria, IL 61602

Unfavorite 3 people favorited this theater

Showing 23 comments

gaijin
gaijin on August 22, 2016 at 6:46 pm

Have very fond memories of this theater. I was 20 when I first came to Peoria and saw many movies there. The best and most memorable was “Star Wars”. I saw it opening night, at the first showing. We got into the theater just as the balcony was being opened and we got the center sits in the front row; put us dead center to the screen.

DavidZornig
DavidZornig on August 15, 2016 at 11:16 pm

1966 photo added, photo credit Peoria Public Library. Partial marquee photo.

Mark
Mark on August 28, 2013 at 3:25 am

Everybody keeps saying some guy by the name of Heinz tore down the Palace. That’s not the right name. The name you’re looking for is developer Ray Becker. I know this to be true because my dad was working for Becker Bros. Construction at the time. He even tried to convince Ray that tearing down the Palace was a crime. Ray lives at the top of one of the twin towers to this very day.

KelliL
KelliL on March 31, 2013 at 1:29 pm

I wish it was like this again down there.

jackiskin
jackiskin on August 3, 2012 at 8:19 am

i loved the palace..last movie i saw there was ..the jerk

rivest266
rivest266 on May 27, 2012 at 5:09 pm

This opened as an Ascher’s theatre according to the sign of the theatre.

TLSLOEWS
TLSLOEWS on May 19, 2010 at 8:19 pm

But will it play in Peoria???Nice interior photo.

JudithK
JudithK on May 15, 2010 at 8:10 pm

My grandparents lived in Peoria, IL which was a first-run theatre town. Thus we were able to see films well ahead of their release in our town at the Palace and the Madison Theatres. At this point my memory is fuzzy separating the two but I do remember the wide sight lines, excellent projection, air conditioning and sound, and lovely lobbies. The years when I visited the two theatres were approximately 1961-1975.

Patsy
Patsy on March 31, 2010 at 2:58 pm

ken mc: Thanks for the photo of a once magnificant interior!

JeffCarlson
JeffCarlson on February 15, 2010 at 10:48 pm

I also found a ton of photos showing Peoria area Drive-ins … most of the shots are linked.

JeffCarlson
JeffCarlson on February 15, 2010 at 10:40 pm

Patsy, I recently posted several new/old shots of other Peoria theaters like Avon, Warner … check them out when you get a chance.

JeffCarlson
JeffCarlson on February 15, 2010 at 10:37 pm

I can’t say I know of this “Ray Heinz” but it’s a moot point … there’s basically nothing left in Peoria except the main part of the Madison theater.

Patsy
Patsy on February 15, 2010 at 10:19 pm

Carl: Is this Ray Heinz still around doing his “work” in Peoria? I hope not.

Patsy
Patsy on February 15, 2010 at 10:16 pm

“not worthy of a second glance”…such a shame as the marquee on the Palace and the ticket kios were special.

JeffCarlson
JeffCarlson on February 15, 2010 at 9:29 pm

The building currently on the old Palace site is just a professional/corporate office building … nothing worth a second glance.

Patsy
Patsy on February 15, 2010 at 9:21 pm

Sorry to read that this theatre was demolished for what is probably condos with a name such as Twin Towers Place.

JeffCarlson
JeffCarlson on February 15, 2010 at 8:50 pm

Here an old shot of the Palace:

View link

I saw the rerelease of “Snow White” here in the 1970’s.

JeffCarlson
JeffCarlson on December 29, 2009 at 11:20 am

Architect: J.E.O. Pridmore of Chicago
General Contractor: Val Jobst & Sons of Peoria
Original Manager: Charles F. Manzing of Chicago
Original Musical Director: Harry Rogers of Chicago

This theater was originally an “Asher’s Bros.” chain. Harry and Max culled a lot of Chicago talent from their other venues to play the Palace.

Patsy
Patsy on May 23, 2009 at 11:34 am

Many years ago I was in Peoria looking at a Frank Lloyd Wright built home so wasn’t into theatres though it had been demolished by then anyway. Hard to read this in a previous post: “It was corporate greed & a direspectful blow to the culture of Peoria when the Philistine developer Ray Heinz tore down Peoria landmarks.”

JackFritscher
JackFritscher on October 5, 2008 at 2:09 am

On V-E Day 1945, my father parked our car under the marquee of the Palace Theater,& put me, age six, on top of the car. It was incredible. Crowds filled the streets; traffic froze to a standstill; there was joy & laughter & crying & singing & from the top of the buildings across the street from the Palace, revelers threw rolls of toilet paper in rolling arcs streaming through the air. I can never forget how relieved we all were that the war was over. I enjoyed many stage shows & thousands of movies at the Palace. It was corporate greed & a direspectful blow to the culture of Peoria when the Philistine developer Ray Heinz tore down Peoria landmarks.

ABone
ABone on February 18, 2006 at 8:03 pm

The Palace was indeed a beautiful theater and seated slightly more than the Madison on the opposite corner of Main & Madison. However, the Madison in my memory was considered the “premiere” downtown house, which ran single features when all the others, including the Palace, ran doubles.