Capitol Theater (Burlington, Iowa) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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The Capitol Theater
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 Location in Iowa
Location in the United States
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| Location | 211 N. 3rd St. Burlington, Iowa |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1937 |
| Architect | Wetherell and Harrison |
| Architectural style | Art Deco |
| NRHP reference No. | 96001373 |
| Added to NRHP | November 22, 1996 |
The Capitol Theater was a cool old movie theater in Burlington, Iowa. It had 700 seats! It first opened its doors in 1937. The very first movie shown was "The Prince and the Pauper" by Mark Twain.
The theater was a place for both movies and live shows. But the stage was only used once, on opening day! The theater closed in March 1977. The last movie shown was the scary film "Carrie" by Stephen King.
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Building the Capitol Theater
Plans for a new, modern theater were finished on December 29, 1936. A company called Central States Theater Corporation approved the design. The architects, Wetherell and Harrison, helped create the plans.
The theater was built on Third Street. It stood between the I.S.U. and Eisfeld buildings. The front of the theater was taller than the I.S.U. building.
Cool Design Features
The outside of the theater looked very stylish. It had special tiles and glass. The colors were shades of burgundy and brown, with shiny gold trim. Bright electric signs showed what movies were playing and what was coming soon.
Inside, the lobby had a fancy floor made of terrazzo. The walls were covered in wood with shiny steel trim. The ceiling had a deep color with modern, colorful lights.
The foyer was also very spacious. It had a two-tone carpet and painted walls. The ceiling was decorated with special indirect lights that changed colors.
The main movie room, called the auditorium, was also very colorful. It had special acoustic tiles to make the sound good. The walls and ceiling had cool designs. The lights in the auditorium were new. They could be turned on or dimmed to create different color combinations.
The seats were very comfy and matched the theater's colors. Building the theater and getting all the equipment cost about $65,000. That would be more than a million dollars today!
Grand Opening Day
The Capitol Theater was supposed to open on June 1, 1937. But the opening was delayed for a month. They needed more time to clean and decorate everything.
Finally, the theater opened on July 1, 1937. The first movie shown was "Prince and the Pauper" starring Errol Flynn. The show started at 6:30 p.m. Tickets cost 36 cents for adults and 10 cents for kids.
Why the Theater Closed
On March 29, 1977, the Capitol Theater had to close. The company that owned it opened new movie theaters. These new theaters, called West I and II, were at Westland Mall in West Burlington.
The Capitol Theater had not been taken care of very well. It was starting to look old and worn out. The last movie shown there was "Carrie," starring Sissy Spacek and John Travolta.
The Capitol Theater was open for 39 years. After it closed, it sat empty for 33 more years. In 1987, the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's an important historical building. It was one of only two Art Deco theaters designed by Wetherall and Harrison left in Iowa at the time.
Bringing the Theater Back to Life
In 2005, a group called the Capitol Theater Foundation bought the building. They started raising money to fix it up. They also wanted to buy the building next door.
In December 2005, after many years, the theater's bright sign was lit up again! This was a big step. The foundation then hired architects to plan how to turn the theater into a performing arts center. They planned to connect it with the building next door.
Big Renovation Project
In 2010, big renovation plans began. The project received a large grant and raised lots of money locally. The theater got all new seats. They built a new, bigger stage. The old building next door became an annex. It had dressing rooms, restrooms, and space for props. There was even an art gallery!
The renovations cost over $3 million. They kept the original walls in the lobby. The beautiful terrazzo floor was uncovered again. The auditorium was repainted. They put in 370 new seats. The stage was made 15 feet longer.
The theater also got a new movie screen. It now has modern digital projection and surround sound. New lights were installed, and the outside of the building was cleaned. Even the main entrance doors were replaced to look like the original ones from 1937.
Reopening and Future
The Capitol Theater officially reopened on June 1, 2012. Now, people can rent it for events. They also have Sunday matinee movies throughout the year.
The goal of this big renovation was to bring new life to the downtown area. The reopened Capitol Theater is expected to bring a lot of money to the local businesses. The Capitol Theater Foundation owns the buildings and plans all the events.
