Copernicus Center (Chicago, Illinois) facts for kids
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| Address | Chicago, Illinois United States |
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| Coordinates | 41°58′05″N 87°45′31″W / 41.968096°N 87.758631°W |
| Owner | Copernicus Foundation |
| Construction | |
| Opened | June 27, 1930 |
| Architect | Rapp and Rapp |
The Copernicus Center (once known as the Gateway Theatre) is a large building in the Jefferson Park neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. It used to be a grand movie theater with 1,852 seats. Today, it's a special place that hosts many events and is an important part of the community. You can find the Copernicus Center at 5216 W. Lawrence Avenue.
The original Gateway Theater was designed by a famous architect named Mason Rapp. His company, Rapp and Rapp, was known for creating beautiful theaters all over the United States, including other famous ones in Chicago. This theater is special because it's the only one of its kind (an "atmospheric theatre") designed by Rapp and Rapp that is still standing in Chicago.
Contents
A Look Back: The History of the Copernicus Center
Grand Opening and Early Days
On June 27, 1930, the new, fancy movie theater in Jefferson Park opened its doors. There were big celebrations and a huge parade in the area leading up to the opening day. Newspapers in Chicago wrote about it, and one even called the new theater "the most acoustically perfect theater in the world!"
The main hall and foyer (entrance area) had amazing hand-painted ceilings and walls. These artworks showed beautiful paintings of Greek and Roman gods and goddesses, along with special patterns. A well-known Chicago artist named Louis Grell created these detailed designs.
For more than 50 years, the Gateway was the main theater for the Balaban and Katz movie company. It showed popular movies that had just been released downtown.
Becoming the Copernicus Center
In 1977, people started looking for a place to create a Polish Cultural Center in Chicago. They wanted a permanent home to celebrate Polish culture. In 1979, work began at the old Gateway Theater Building, which is located near Milwaukee and Lawrence avenues.
Because the Gateway Theater was historically important, the Copernicus Foundation decided to save the theater itself. They remodeled the building around it. They divided the large 40-foot entrance area and built three new floors. These floors provided space for offices, meeting rooms, and classrooms for the Cultural Center. This first part of the project was finished in 1981.
In 1985, a special structure called the "Solidarity Tower" was built on top of the building. The outside of the building was also changed to look like the famous Royal Castle in Warsaw, Poland. People driving on the Kennedy Expressway could easily see this unique design. That same year, the Copernicus Foundation started managing the Gateway theater. It welcomed Polish American and other community groups, as well as local organizations from Jefferson Park. It has continued to serve these communities ever since.
Since 1988, the Lake Shore Symphony Orchestra has practiced and performed regularly at the Copernicus Center. They hold concerts three times a year.
How to Get There
The Copernicus Center is easy to find! It's just a short walk west from the Lawrence Avenue exit of the Kennedy Expressway.
You can also reach it easily by public transport. You can take the CTA Blue Line or Metra train to the Jefferson Park Transit Center, which is very close to the Copernicus Center.
See also
- Balaban and Katz
- Theatre in Chicago
- History of Chicago
- Culture of Chicago
- Poles in Chicago
- Polonia
- Polish-Americans
 | Calvin Brent |
 | Walter T. Bailey |
 | Martha Cassell Thompson |
 | Alberta Jeannette Cassell |
