VIP Lincoln Grand 8

225 S. Kickapoo Street,
Lincoln, IL 62656

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Related Websites

VIP Cinemas (Official)

Additional Info

Operated by: VIP Cinemas

Previously operated by: Carmike Cinemas, GKC Theatres

Architects: Edward P. Rupert

Firms: R. Levine & Co.

Functions: Movies (First Run)

Styles: Colonial Revival

Previous Names: Lincoln Theatre, Lincoln Cinemas

Phone Numbers: Box Office: 217.732.9600

Nearby Theaters

VIP Lincoln Grand 8

The 900-seat Lincoln Theatre was built in 1922 by Steve Bennis, who later founded the Bennis chain of theatres which included the Lincoln Theatre, the Vogue Theatre, the Grand Theatre and the Auto-Vue Drive-In. The Lincoln Theatre opened on February 12, 1923 with Lon Chaney in “John Quincy Adams Sawyer”. The Lincoln Theatre featured a Geneva 2 manual 9 ranks organ and live stage shows well into the 1930’s.

The Lincoln Theatre was twinned in 1985, and about a decade later, turned into a quad. The theatre was a first-run house, and part of the GKC Theatres chain. By 2016 another four screens had been added. It was closed in March 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Its closure is permanent. In 2021 it was taken over and reopened by VIP Cinemas.

Contributed by Bryan

Recent comments (view all 9 comments)

CSWalczak
CSWalczak on December 31, 2010 at 5:34 pm

A local operator expects to purchase this theater from Carmike; it will be renamed the Lincoln Theater 4: View link

roburtone
roburtone on May 30, 2011 at 10:02 am

I love the exterior of this theater! Here are some recent views.

View 1 View 2

stormdog
stormdog on January 26, 2014 at 12:36 pm

I took a number of photos of the Lincoln in July of 2012 that I’m just getting to posting. Here’s a link to one of them; more are nearby in my Flickr photostream.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/stormdog42/12158678146/

Trolleyguy
Trolleyguy on May 18, 2016 at 5:01 pm

Now called the Lincoln Grand 8. Looks like they added 4 more screens. Website: http://www.lincolngrand8.com/location/1996/Lincoln-Grand-8

Giles
Giles on February 9, 2018 at 9:13 pm

what are the details about the theater’s projector’s and audio systems? I gather at least one theater can playback 4K content as last Fall they premiered these two new 4K DCP’s

• The animated features PRINCE OF EGYPT and A GOOFY MOVIE with special Q&As with the film’s directors. Both projected for the first time in the updated 4K Digital Cinema Package.

dallasmovietheaters
dallasmovietheaters on May 27, 2021 at 12:09 pm

Closed permanently during the COVID-19 pandemic

MichaelKilgore
MichaelKilgore on August 30, 2021 at 11:39 am

Exhibitors Herald, March 3, 1923: “Steve Bennis of Lincoln, III., opened his beautiful new Lincoln theatre on Lincoln’s birthday. The house represents an investment of $250,000.” So you don’t have to look it up, that would be Monday, Feb. 12, 1923.

rivest266
rivest266 on December 15, 2021 at 1:44 pm

this now reopened as the VIP Lincoln Grand 8 in 2021 per https://vipcinemas.com/vip-lincoln-cinemas

Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on April 7, 2023 at 6:39 pm

The March 4, 1922 issue of Moving Picture World said that the plans for the new theater to be erected at Lincoln, Illinois by Steve Bennis were being prepared by “…the Levine Company, 217 Chamber of Commerce Building, Chicago….” This must have been R. Levine & Co., the Chicago design-construction firm for whom Edward P. Rupert served as principal architect during this period. The Lincoln Grand bears a strong resemblance to the Washington Theatre at Quincy, Illinois, which was designed by Rupert.

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