Venue info
The Des Plaines Theater was opened as a vaudeville/movies house on August 9, 1925 with Adolphe Menjou in “Are Parents People” plus five acts of vaudeville on the stage. Built for the Polka Brothers circuit, the theater was designed by architect William B. Betts of neighboring Park Ridge, who also designed the Glen Theatre (now the Glen Art Theatre) in west suburban Glen Ellyn among other theaters. The Spanish Moorish style foyer led into a Spanish Renaissance style auditorium, which originally seated 1,018 patrons and had a large stage and orchestra pit. The theatre was equipped with a 3 manual Geneva theatre organ which was installed in December 1925, and removed from the theatre in August 1934. The theater’s exterior was in an Art Deco style, complete with bright, multi-colored terra cotta on the facade.
In 2014, The Des Plaines was closed and remained closed until October 2021. In 2018, Ron Onesti and the City of Des Plaines embarked on a complete transformation of this historic gem. This 1,000 seat theatre will boast musicians, comedians and performers from around the world. Mirroring its sister property in St. Charles, the building located at 1476 Miner Avenue, will house a Roaring 20s Speakeasy, Bourbon ‘N Brass and Des Pizza, a wood-fired pizza experience.
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