A unique search tool for professionals
Paramount Theatre (Aurora Civic Centre)
Proscenium arch
The $1 million Paramount Theatre opened
September 3, 1931. Designed by nationally renowned theater architects C.W. and George L.
Rapp, the theater captures a unique Venetian setting portrayed in the art deco influence
of the 1930s.
It was the first
air-conditioned building outside of Chicago, IL. The theater was commissioned by theater
owner J.J. Rubens who, before construction, sold the company to the Paramount Famous Lasky
Corporation.
When Paramount Pictures owned the design, they decided
to build movie palaces all over the country, using this theatre as a prototype. For more
than 40 years, the Paramount offered the public a variety of entertainment, including
"talking pictures", vaudeville, concerts and circus performances.
align="left">In 1976, Aurora Civic Center Authority purchased the Paramount and closed the
theater for restoration. The $1.5 million project restored the Paramount to its original
grandeur. On April 29, 1978, the Paramount Arts Center opened, offering a variety of
theatrical, musical, comedy, dance and family programming.
In 2006,
a 12,000 square foot lobby was added. The Grand Gallery houses a state-of-the-art box
office, a cafe, a gift shop and an art gallery. The renovation of 28 Downer has provided a
home for the Paramount School of Performing Arts bringing professional acting classes to
the western suburbs.
Today, the Paramount Theatre supports an annual
audience of 150,000 patrons and was named one of the Top 10 theatres in Chicago by the
League of Chicago Theatres. The theatre continues to be an anchor in the city bringing in
approximately $3.3 million in ancillary revenue as well as hosting many free community
events including the Midwest Literary Festival, the Air Force Band Concert, the Aurora
Idol Competition and staging the annual Fox Valley Park District children's production.
