Coronado Theatre facts for kids
|
Coronado Theatre (1927-97)
|
|
Front entrance of theater on Main Street
|
|
| Address | 314 North Main Street Rockford, Illinois United States |
|---|---|
| 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 | |
|
Coronado Theatre
|
|
|
U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
|
| Part of | West Downtown Rockford Historic District (ID07000899) |
| NRHP reference No. | 79000878 |
| Added to NRHP | September 6, 1979 |
The Coronado Performing Arts Center is a beautiful theater in Rockford, Illinois. It was first called the Coronado Theatre. This amazing building has 2,400 seats and was designed by architect Frederic J. Klein. It cost about $1.5 million to build and first opened its doors on October 9, 1927.
Contents
Exploring the Coronado's Amazing Inside
The Coronado Theatre's main hall is designed to make you feel like you're watching a show outdoors. This style was very popular for movie theaters in the 1920s. The walls look like fancy Spanish and Italian buildings. Above you, the ceiling looks like a deep blue sky with twinkling stars and soft clouds.
Everything inside is decorated with shiny gold details. Green lamps with special glass hang on the walls. You can also see Japanese dragons and glowing lanterns near the stage. There are two levels of seating: the main floor and a large balcony. In front of the stage, there's a special area called an orchestra pit. 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 stories, standing in front of a golden seashell. Because of its stunning design, people lovingly call the Coronado "Rockford's Wonder Theatre."
Famous Shows and Events at the Coronado
When the Coronado first opened, it showed both movies and live stage performances. The very first show was a silent film called "Swim Girl Swim." Almost 9,000 people came to see the three showings on opening day!
From its opening until the 1960s, many famous performers appeared at the Coronado. Stars like Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland, Bob Hope, and Sammy Davis Jr. performed here. Even John F. Kennedy visited the theater during his 1960 presidential campaign. In 1984, the Coronado stopped showing movies because fewer people were coming to see them.
In 2018, the Coronado Theatre was chosen as one of the "Illinois 200 Great Places." This was part of a celebration for Illinois' 200th birthday.
The Coronado: A National Treasure
In 1979, the Coronado was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's a very important building in the United States. At the ceremony, people said it was one of the best theaters of its kind in the whole country.
A year later, in 1980, the City of Rockford made the Coronado an official historical landmark for the state of Illinois.
In 2010, the Coronado Theater was voted "the No. 1 Architectural Wonder of the United States." It won this title in an online poll, getting the most votes!
Bringing the Coronado Back to Life
The Kerasotes Theater Organization owned the Coronado Theatre from 1970. In 1997, they gave the theater to the City of Rockford. Right away, plans were made to save and fix up the building. A group called "Friends of the Coronado" started an $18.5 million restoration project in 1998.
People in the Rockford community helped a lot by donating almost half of the money needed. The goal was to fix the theater's old interior and update the building. The project not only saved the theater's beautiful features but also added more useful space. Now, the Coronado is also fully accessible for people with disabilities. After 18 months of work, the Coronado reopened in 2001 with a big celebration.
The Grand Barton Organ
The Coronado is home to a very special musical instrument: a Grand Barton Theater Organ. This organ is one of only two left in the world that has a unique dragon design! It's a huge instrument with many different sounds. It can even make bird calls and car horns, which were used to add sound effects to silent movies long ago.
The Land of Lincoln Theater Organ Society takes care of this amazing organ. They offer tours and demonstrations all year round, so you can hear its incredible sounds.
See Also
- List of concert halls
- Barton Organ Company
