To the thousands of Fox Valley residents who have been entertained there over the years, the downtown Arcada Theatre has always been a treasure.
But now the entire nation recognizes its significance since the 68-year-old movie and playhouse, and the building where it is located, were named this month to the National Register of Historic Places.
“It’s very exciting,” said Mike Dixon, a local architect who helped the Arcada’s owners with the register’s application process. “It’s important to downtown St. Charles for people to realize we have some potentially significant buildings.”
Although ownership has changed hands a few times since Lester and Dellora Norris built it in 1926, the theater has retained its original Spanish revival architecture.
The Arcada opened mainly as a popular venue for traveling vaudeville acts and plays, but the era of talking pictures ushered in a whole new use for the theater.
The theater is leased by Classic Cinemas of Downers Grove, which spent $100,000 in 1993 to rejuvenate it and now charges $1.50 a ticket to see second-run movies.
More Top Picks Shark Rotator La502
“It’s a neat experience for people at an affordable price,” said Craig Frank, a member of the family that owns the three-story building at 1st Avenue and Main Street. “I think the public is probably happy it is going to be here for a while.”
Being named to the register does not guarantee the theater will never be torn down, but it does afford the building more protection against developer modifications and government condemnations.
In addition to the Arcada, three other buildings in downtown St. Charles-the municipal building, Old City Hall and the Baker Hotel-are on the register.