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Des Plaines Theatre

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The City of Des Plaines invites you to visit our new (old) downtown theatre! Check out a live performance and dine, drink and dance all under one roof! Our downtown has plenty of free parking and easy access from the Metra train station. We know you will love this beautifully renovated historic venue as much as we do! Visit desplainestheatre.com for the schedule, to purchase tickets and learn more.   

City Invests in Des Plaines Theatre

  “This is an exciting day for Des Plaines! I’m extremely proud of this theatre’s rebirth and appreciate the partnerships that made it happen – including our current and former elected officials, our community that we represent, Rivers Casino and Ron Onesti. A big thank you also goes to our extraordinary City team who worked behind the scenes for the last several years to bring this local gem (back) to life. I invite everyone from near and far to come for a show, and stay to eat, drink and discover Des Plaines.”
Des Plaines Mayor Andrew Goczkowski   		  Theatre Ribbon Cutting Elected Officials

 

The City Council made the decision to purchase the theatre for $1.3 million in 2018 after it sat vacant for many years. To make the project feasible, Rivers Casino agreed to provide financial support to assist with the property’s purchase and renovation. The City invested $6.7 million in the renovation. The City recognized that the theatre’s restoration could drive transformational downtown revitalization and economic development. The theatre is located in the heart of downtown Des Plaines across the street from the Metra Train station. 

The theatre has the capacity for nearly 1,000. It includes two restaurants —Bourbon 'N Brass, a Speakeasy featuring a 1920s decor that reflects the Prohibition Era origins of the legendary venue, and Des Pizza, a wood-fired pizza and Rock ‘n Roll experience.

  • Originally opened by local entrepreneur Barney Winkelmann in August 1925, the Des Plaines Theatre was the first cinema in town. Some live vaudeville acts also performed on the stage. The architecture is a mixture of Spanish Baroque decorative ceramics with modern elements such as the neon marquee. As other cinemas developed later in the twentieth century, this theatre was a popular alternative for second showings and classics. It survived a three-alarm fire in 1982, but struggled in recent years to stay a viable business.
    Des Plaines History Center, 09/16/2021