State Theatre
107 W. State Street,
Ithaca,
NY
14850
107 W. State Street,
Ithaca,
NY
14850
6 people
favorited this theater
Showing 1 - 25 of 34 comments
I can’t find anything about the organ on the stateofithaca link.
I was a movie theater usher in the State, Strand, and Ithaca theaters in 1955, 1956, & 1957. Jerry Lafavor
July 14th, 1976 grand opening ad in the photo section for its reopening as a twin cinema.
December 6th, 1928 grand opening ad in the photo section.
The State Theatre appears to be alive and well and beautiful in downtown Ithaca! I do wish they still showed periodic movies but they seem to do well as a live performance venue in this prosperous little town.
2008 views of another “cinema treasure”, the State in Ithaca. Here, here, here and here. Two enlarged views here and here.
No problem. Hopefully they will get enough funds to complete the restoration of the organ -in addition to the theater. It’s one of the comparatively few Link organs left in existence (interestingly enough, one of the surviving Links is in a museum in Germany).
MikeR: Great organ story..the kind we all love to read! Thanks!
The State’s website is now at www.stateofithaca.com There is a good explanation of the Link organ in the “History and Restoration” section.
Great to see this most recent photo as it shows needed work being done on the marquee!
Lost Memory: The ceiling photo is an excellent photo in that it captures the astronomy formations. My tour included having Mr. Welch take my husband to the organ chamber room where all of the sounds once originated from. The journey involved 2 sets of very steep stairs so I stayed behind while our digital took photos for me to see later.
The State Theatre is a very interesting architectural combination and should be seen to be appreciated. The theatre has its original organ though as yet to be restored. Thanks to Don Welch, head usher I was given a full tour from the projection room to the basement!
TC: Going to Ithaca tomorrow, April 11 to see this theatre so will report back here in a few days.
TC: The photos posted on Sept. 9, 2005 that show the unrestored marquee are good, but I hope they have been restored by now as I plan to visit this theatre this spring and would like to see them in a restored condition!
Nice to read that the original cloud making machine is intact and there so hopefully it will be functional again as that is a MUST when having an atmospheric theatre!
A friend and I went up recently to take a tour of the State. We were very impressed with the place and our tour guide was very informative and helpful; it was great that we got a tour arranged even though it was just the two of us. It’s almost literally like stepping back to 1928 as so much of the State is original. We got a glance of the Link organ console, which, except for the color of the case, is nearly identical to the console of the Link organ in the Roberson Museum in Binghamton. I find it very interesting that the auditorium itself is parallel with the street. They even have the original cloud making machine, although it’s not functional at the present time. I definitely wish them the best in the restoration of the theater, a definite jewel in the area.
TC—
Those are nice late afternoon photos on that August Sunday as the sun hits the western exposure of South Cayuga Street. Your shots of the marquee hit the decayed spots accurately. Restoration is underway, slowly to be sure, but underway nonetheless. It will happen all in good time.
To Whom it May Concern:–
Why doesn’t somebody do something about the former Loew’s Kings
Theatre on Flatbush Ave., in B'klyn. The theatre has now been closed
for 28 yrs! It’s really is a pitty the way this once beautiful theatre has deteriotated. I’ve passed the theatre a couple of times-and wanted to cry every time.
Several yrs ago, Magic Johnson was supposed to turn the theatre
into a multi-plex. Thank God that didn’t materialize!! I’d rather see the place torn down. And it can’t even be torn down since it’s been declared a “landmark”!! One could only imagine what it looks like inside, after all this time.
So please somebody do something!!!
Sincerely,
Carmine Opramolla
my photos from 8/21/05:
View link
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Thanks B O B. Penn, Yale, Princeton, Columbia, Harvard & Brown all have great art houses nearby and I was confident that something existed near Cornell.
Can’t wait to see your posts.
The theater is up and open for special events from time to time, in tandem with the long-range restoration project that continues to make improvements and solicit monies for further improvements. My last visit was two years ago for a concert by Joan Baez. Both Cornell and Ithaca College have several excellent concert and theatrical facilities and have used the State only rarely—Cornell notably did so when its classical concert hall was being renovated a few years ago.
As for art movie houses, Ithaca has two fine ones with five screens between them: Cinemapolis on the Commons, a few yards away from the State; and Fall Creek Cinema in a residential neighborhood some ten blocks away. I’ve contributed listings for CT on Ithaca’s “dead” theaters, and will prepare ones for Cinemapolis and Fall Creek when I get my data collected. These theaters consistently play the best fare in town.
Not sure Patsy. I was in Ithaca on 8/21/05. No information is posted on the building, which is a bit surprising and disappointing at the same time. I couldn’t get inside. You have to imagine that Cornell has some funds that it could contribute to a full restoration. I also notice that there aren’t any art houses listed on CT as open in Ithaca, also disappointing for an Ivy League college town. This theater is in a prime location just feet from the main pedestrian shopping plaza and could easily thrive as a full time movie theater.
Look at my comments on the Smith Opera House in nearby Geneva, which is located in a much smaller town. They did it right. A great mixture of live performances and movies and a fantastic restoration. Let’s hope that some badly needed exterior restoration is done soon to the State and serious consideration given to opening it as a movie theater.
Can anyone tell us if the theatre is under a restoration project at this time or any time in the future?
Went back and looked at the interior photo on the offical site and it sure does look atmospheric!?! The exterior needs some TLC, but maybe it has rec’d it by now…hope so as it’s a big college town, too!
Is this theatre atmospheric? On the official website the color photo looks like it may be atmospheric?