Palace Theater
437 Main Street,
Peoria,
IL
61602
437 Main Street,
Peoria,
IL
61602
3 people
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Have very fond memories of this theater. I was 20 when I first came to Peoria and saw many movies there. The best and most memorable was “Star Wars”. I saw it opening night, at the first showing. We got into the theater just as the balcony was being opened and we got the center sits in the front row; put us dead center to the screen.
1966 photo added, photo credit Peoria Public Library. Partial marquee photo.
Everybody keeps saying some guy by the name of Heinz tore down the Palace. That’s not the right name. The name you’re looking for is developer Ray Becker. I know this to be true because my dad was working for Becker Bros. Construction at the time. He even tried to convince Ray that tearing down the Palace was a crime. Ray lives at the top of one of the twin towers to this very day.
I wish it was like this again down there.
i loved the palace..last movie i saw there was ..the jerk
This opened as an Ascher’s theatre according to the sign of the theatre.
But will it play in Peoria???Nice interior photo.
My grandparents lived in Peoria, IL which was a first-run theatre town. Thus we were able to see films well ahead of their release in our town at the Palace and the Madison Theatres. At this point my memory is fuzzy separating the two but I do remember the wide sight lines, excellent projection, air conditioning and sound, and lovely lobbies. The years when I visited the two theatres were approximately 1961-1975.
ken mc: Thanks for the photo of a once magnificant interior!
Here is an interior view:
http://tinyurl.com/ylr99fl
I also found a ton of photos showing Peoria area Drive-ins … most of the shots are linked.
Will do!
Patsy, I recently posted several new/old shots of other Peoria theaters like Avon, Warner … check them out when you get a chance.
I can’t say I know of this “Ray Heinz” but it’s a moot point … there’s basically nothing left in Peoria except the main part of the Madison theater.
Carl: Is this Ray Heinz still around doing his “work” in Peoria? I hope not.
“not worthy of a second glance”…such a shame as the marquee on the Palace and the ticket kios were special.
The building currently on the old Palace site is just a professional/corporate office building … nothing worth a second glance.
Sorry to read that this theatre was demolished for what is probably condos with a name such as Twin Towers Place.
Here an old shot of the Palace:
View link
I saw the rerelease of “Snow White” here in the 1970’s.
Architect: J.E.O. Pridmore of Chicago
General Contractor: Val Jobst & Sons of Peoria
Original Manager: Charles F. Manzing of Chicago
Original Musical Director: Harry Rogers of Chicago
This theater was originally an “Asher’s Bros.” chain. Harry and Max culled a lot of Chicago talent from their other venues to play the Palace.
Many years ago I was in Peoria looking at a Frank Lloyd Wright built home so wasn’t into theatres though it had been demolished by then anyway. Hard to read this in a previous post: “It was corporate greed & a direspectful blow to the culture of Peoria when the Philistine developer Ray Heinz tore down Peoria landmarks.”
On V-E Day 1945, my father parked our car under the marquee of the Palace Theater,& put me, age six, on top of the car. It was incredible. Crowds filled the streets; traffic froze to a standstill; there was joy & laughter & crying & singing & from the top of the buildings across the street from the Palace, revelers threw rolls of toilet paper in rolling arcs streaming through the air. I can never forget how relieved we all were that the war was over. I enjoyed many stage shows & thousands of movies at the Palace. It was corporate greed & a direspectful blow to the culture of Peoria when the Philistine developer Ray Heinz tore down Peoria landmarks.
The Palace was indeed a beautiful theater and seated slightly more than the Madison on the opposite corner of Main & Madison. However, the Madison in my memory was considered the “premiere” downtown house, which ran single features when all the others, including the Palace, ran doubles.