Lake Theatre
1022 Lake Street,
Oak Park,
IL
60301
1022 Lake Street,
Oak Park,
IL
60301
30 people
favorited this theater
Showing 26 - 34 of 34 comments
I went to see “Wallace and Grommitt” at the Lake on 11/03/2005. What an absolutely wonderful movie-going experience! Ticket prices, even for the regular rates, are lower than what AMC or Loews charge. Concession prices are cheaper too and if you are a registered user of Classic Cinemas' website, you can get a free small popcorn.
This was the first time that I saw a film in one of the newer auditoriums, which were built into the former retail spaces next door. These auditoriums are very well-done and they look like they’ve been there all along (and not some half-assed job, like the Pickwick in Park Ridge). I’ve never had a bad experience at any Classic Cinemas Theatre and I can safely say that Classic Cinemas is a class act!
I was able to take a tour of the Lake Theater several years ago, and according to the owner of the theater, when the auditorium was triplexed; they did it in such a way that should they ever want to go back to a single screen it would be possible. All the Art Deco wall panels that were removed to for the two additional screens were carefully taken down and stored to future use. And very little damage was done to the plaster ceiling as well.
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many other photos on this site.
I have wonderful memories of this beautiful theater. This was the very first theater that I was allowed to go to by myself when I was a boy (boy, have things changed). I even remember the movie that I saw, called “The Maze” (I believe I may be the only person in the world that went to see this movie, I have never known anyone else that has ever heard of this movie) It was sometime around 1949 or 1950. The movie was in 3-D, and scarred me so much that I kept covering my eyes and had to come back every day so that I could see a little more. Wonderful memories. Thank you so much.
From Russell Phillips' Galleries:
Lake Theater Lobby, 1984
Lake Theater Auditorium, 1984
Hey, CDJ – I knew your great aunt Cecile very well – worked with her at the Lake from 1963 to 1967 when I was an usher. If you see this, contact me at –
I have not been inside the theater since it changed from a single screen venue…
My great aunt Cecil Crispin, sold tickets at the Lake theatre and at the Lamar theatre in Oak Park. It is sheer pleasure being able to see a movie in such a beautiful landmark building.
My favorite memory was seeing “Grease” starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John. I saw it at the Lake theatre 4 times! Kids were getting up and going for popcorn and drinks during Olivia’s solo “Hopelessly Devoted To You”, but I just loved the song. I never moved out of my seat…I just sang along.
It was a big auditorium. I have went since it was a single screen, to being triplexed in 1985, became 4 screens in 1989, to 7 screens in the mid-‘90s. One time in theater #4, art and foreign films were shown. They still do, but check newspapers.
I love this theater! I used to go there all the time when it was a second-run venue, back when it had only 3 screens. I never went there when the theater had only 1 screen…But it must of been a big auditorium.