Balaban and Katz Chicago Theatre - Chicago, Illinois - U.S. National Register of Historic Places on Waymarking.com

The Chicago Theatre was the first large, lavish movie palace in America and was the prototype for all others. This beautiful movie palace was constructed for $4 million and was the flagship of the Balaban and Katz theatre chain.

Built in French Baroque style, The Chicago Theatre’s exterior features a miniature replica of Paris’ Arc de Triomphe, sculpted above its State Street marquee. The triumphal arch is sixty feet wide and six stories high.

The grand lobby, modeled after the Royal Chapel at Versailles, is five stories high and surrounded by gallery promenades at the mezzanine and balcony levels. The grand staircase is patterned after that of the Paris Opera House and ascends to the various levels of the Great Balcony.

The 3,600 seat auditorium is seven stories high, more than one half of a city block wide, and nearly as long. The vertical sign "C-H-I-C-A-G-O," at nearly six stories high, is one of the few such signs in existence today. A symbol of State Street and Chicago, the sign and marquee are landmarks in themselves, as is the 29-rank Wurlitzer theatre pipe organ.

Street address: 175 N. State St. Chicago, IL USA 60601 County / Borough / Parish: Cook Year listed: 1979 Historic (Areas of) Significance: Architecture/Engineering, Event Periods of significance: 1900-1949 Historic function: Recreation - Movie theatre Current function: Recreation - Live Stage Productions and Music Privately owned?: yes Season start / Season finish: From: 01/01/2007 To: 12/31/2007 Primary Web Site: [Web Link] Secondary Website 1: [Web Link] Hours of operation: Not listed Secondary Website 2: Not listed National Historic Landmark Link: Not listed

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