Coronado Theatre facts for kids
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Coronado Theatre (1927-97)
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Front entrance of theater on Main Street
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| Address | 314 North Main Street Rockford, Illinois United States |
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| Public transit |  RMTD |
| Capacity | 2,400 |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 9 October 1927 |
| Reopened | 2001 |
| Rebuilt | 1998-2001 |
| Years active | 1927-1997 2001-present |
| Architect | Frederic J. Klein; Bell, Walter Scott Co. |
| Website | |
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Coronado Theatre
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U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
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| Part of | West Downtown Rockford Historic District (ID07000899) |
| NRHP reference No. | 79000878 |
| Added to NRHP | September 6, 1979 |
The Coronado Performing Arts Center, also known as the Coronado Theatre, is a beautiful old theater in Rockford, Illinois. It has 2,400 seats and was designed by architect Frederic J. Klein. This amazing building cost $1.5 million to build and first opened its doors on October 9, 1927. It's a special place where people can enjoy live shows and concerts.
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Inside the Coronado: A Magical Place
The Coronado Theatre's main hall looks like an outdoor movie set! It's designed in a style called "atmospheric." This means the walls look like old Spanish and Italian buildings with gold decorations. The ceiling is painted to look like a deep blue sky with twinkling stars and fluffy clouds. It's like watching a show under the night sky!
The whole theater is filled with shiny gold details. Green lamps with cool glass bulbs light up the walls. You can even spot Japanese dragons and glowing lanterns near the stage. There are two levels of seating: the main floor and a big balcony. All the seats are covered in soft red velvet.
The lobby and the area above it, called the mezzanine, are just as fancy. In the grand mezzanine, there's a statue of Venus, a goddess from old myths, standing in front of a golden seashell. Because of its stunning design, many people call the Coronado "Rockford's Wonder Theatre."
Exciting Shows and Famous Visitors
When the Coronado first opened, it showed both movies and live stage performances. Its very first show was a silent film called "Swim Girl Swim." Almost 9,000 people came to see it on opening day!
From the 1920s to the 1960s, many famous stars performed here. Imagine seeing Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland, Bob Hope, Sammy Davis Jr., and Milton Berle on this very stage! Even John F. Kennedy visited the theater during his presidential campaign in 1960.
In 1984, the Coronado stopped showing movies because not enough people were coming. In 2018, the Coronado Theatre was chosen as one of the "Illinois 200 Great Places." This was part of a celebration for Illinois's 200th birthday!
A National Treasure
The Coronado is a very important building. In 1979, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's recognized as a special historical building in the United States. At the ceremony, people said it was one of the best theaters of its kind in the whole country.
In 1980, the City of Rockford also made the Coronado a historical landmark for the state of Illinois. In 2010, something really cool happened: the Coronado Theater was voted the "No. 1 Architectural Wonder of the United States" in a big online poll! It got more votes than any other amazing building.
Bringing the Theater Back to Life
By the late 1990s, the Coronado Theatre was getting old and needed a lot of work. In 1997, the company that owned it gave the theater to the City of Rockford. People immediately started making plans to fix it up.
A group called "Friends of the Coronado" was started in 1998. They began an $18.5 million project to restore the theater. Many people in the Rockford community helped by donating almost half of the money needed! The goal was to fix the old parts and make the building modern.
The restoration project not only saved the theater's original beauty but also added more space. Now, the Coronado is also fully accessible for people with disabilities. After 18 months of hard work, the Coronado reopened in 2001 with a big celebration.
The Amazing Grand Barton Organ
The Coronado is home to a very special musical instrument: a Grand Barton Theater Organ. It's one of only two left in the world that has a unique dragon design! This huge organ can make many different sounds, like bird calls, car horns, and other noises. These sounds were used to add excitement to silent movies back in the day.
A group called the Land of Lincoln Theater Organ Society takes care of the organ. They even offer tours and demonstrations so you can see and hear this amazing instrument!
The Coronado Today
The Coronado has always been a source of pride for the people of Rockford. Today, it mixes its original 1920s style with modern comforts. With more space backstage and extra dressing rooms, the Coronado can now host big traveling theater shows and famous performers. The larger lobby means more people can enjoy concerts and events held there regularly.
See also
- List of concert halls
- Barton Organ Company
