Tivoli Theatre
35 W. Galena Boulevard,
Aurora,
IL
60506
35 W. Galena Boulevard,
Aurora,
IL
60506
2 people
favorited this theater
Additional Info
Previously operated by: Balaban & Katz Corp.
Architects: George W. Leslie Rapp
Firms: Rapp & Rapp
Nearby Theaters
Opening in 1928, one of Aurora’s larger movie houses after the Paramount Theatre (which was, like the Tivoli Theatre, designed by architectural firm Rapp & Rapp), the Tivoli Theatre could seat over 1,000. It shared a building with a bowling alley.
The Tivoli Theatre was closed in 1981, and has since been torn down.
Contributed by
Bryan Krefft
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Recent comments (view all 7 comments)
We used to skip out of school and go to the bowling alley downstairs and played pinball. The building that the theater was in also had an upstairs bar that had live music.
I had lots of fond memories of Aurora’s Tivoli Theater. In the late 60s to early 70s the Tivoli was a popular hangout. The inside of the theater looked very close to the Paramount Theater just across the street. The primary color was a deep red or burgundy with some off shades of red. There were some gold trims as well. The enormous crystal chandelier in the auditorium was identical to the one in the Paramount Theater complete with the starburst design painted on the ceiling surrounding it using a burgundy scheme. The Tivoli was a great place to catch a movie and at times live performances. Towards the end of this theaters life around the late 70s the theater was used to show Spanish films and burlesque type show with men in drag. What a sad way to go.
Here are some 1983 photos:
http://tinyurl.com/djepp3
http://tinyurl.com/c6s993
The Tivoli / Paramount was my first job as manager for Plitt Theatres in 1976. The Paramount was only open for about a month until the city took it over to convert to a performing arts center. The interior of the Tivoli auditorium had beautiful light window wells in the side walls, but the chandelier was long gone by the time I was there. Until seeing the photo from the glory days, I had no idea that there used to be a vertical sign. Not only was there a bowling alley underneath (we leaked onto the lanes if we spilled water in the mop closet!), but a ballroom above the lobby. I remember many Saturday evenings when our lobby echoed with the sounds of dancing from the floor above. One of my funniest memories: a muskrat from the neighboring Fox River got into our outer lobby, and my DM was chasing it around until he got it outside.
I was managing this treasure when DAL arrived to rescue me. Plitt was operating it at the time. In fact, Plitt was operating the Paramount as well. There was only one manager for both locations. While I was there I had to open the Tivoli or the Paramount first,then, run down the block to open the other. It kept you in shape. It was also excellent training in the fine points of show scheduling. I was the last Plitt manager at the Paramount. Here is a tidbit that I suppose someone might remember. Shortly before DAL took over the Tivoli a projectionist named Carl died in the booth during a show on a Saturday night in the spring. Wasn’t that fun? I had to practically physically push the projectionist from the Paramount down the street to get the show running again after Carl had been taken away by the EMT’s. I think we were running “The Omen” at the time.
According to David Junchen’s “Encyclopedia of the American Theatre Pipe Organ”, pg. 144, the Tivoli Theatre in Aurora, Illinois originally had a 3 manual, 12 rank Geneva theatre pipe organ installed at some point (year not known or not given in the book). Does anybody know what happened to this organ and where it is today? Thanks!!!
Elegant and lovely old building. Signage and marquee are beautiful. A loss to the area that it is gone.