Genesee & Clayton
The Genesee Theatre first opened in 1927 in a former YMCA building. The architect was Edward Steinberg.
The 1,799-seat movie palace also housed a large apartment and retail complex surrounding the theatre, much like the larger Palace Theatre in Gary, IN.
The theatre was hit hard in the 1980s due to the rise in multiplexes (in this case, by the GCC Lakehurst), showing its last film in 1982, and closing down in 1989.
In 2001, the theatre underwent a $23,000,000 restoration, and celebrated its grand re-opening in 2004. The colorful, animated marquee is a replica of the original that was mounted to the facade in 1927.
Genesee Theatre -- Waukegan, IL
Genesee & Clayton
The Genesee Theatre first opened in 1927 in a former YMCA building. The architect was Edward Steinberg.
The 1,799-seat movie palace also housed a large apartment and retail complex surrounding the theatre, much like the larger Palace Theatre in Gary, IN.
The theatre was hit hard in the 1980s due to the rise in multiplexes (in this case, by the GCC Lakehurst), showing its last film in 1982, and closing down in 1989.
In 2001, the theatre underwent a $23,000,000 restoration, and celebrated its grand re-opening in 2004. The colorful, animated marquee is a replica of the original that was mounted to the facade in 1927.
Genesee Theatre -- Waukegan, IL