Columbia Theatre
209 SW Adams Street,
Peoria,
IL
61602
209 SW Adams Street,
Peoria,
IL
61602
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This early Peoria movie house located on Adams Street near Fulton Street was opened in 1913. It was still operating in 1945, according to the Film Daily Yearbook from that year, which notes it could seat 500. However, it didn’t last much longer, because the Columbia Theatre was closed on December 31, 1951 with Frank Buck in “Jungle Terror” & “Ridin' Over the Rainbow”. It was demolished in 1952.
Contributed by
Bryan
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Recent comments (view all 3 comments)
The Columbia was the first of the long-time downtown Peoria theaters to close after the advent of TV in 1951. It was distinguished by being a half-block long and only 10 seats & and one aisle wide! It was one of those theaters which had the reputation of providing “free shoeshine” along with the movies!
The Columbia was said to be one of the first three nickelodeons in Peoria, according to an article in the February 2, 1952, issue of Boxoffice Magazine. The article said that the Columbia closed forever after its last show on December 31, 1951. At the time it closed, it had long specialized in “B” movies, and was the longest-running theater in the city at the time, having operated for almost half a century.
The Columbia gravitated from a nickelodeon to a real theatre in its 40 years of operation. It closed December 31, 1951 with a double feature of “Jungle Terror” and “Ridin' Over the Rainbow.” It was used for one year as a retail store for B&M clothing store - which had been around as long as the Columbia - while they built a new location. The Columbia Building was demolished for a W.T. Grant store.