Dixon Theatre

Dixon Theatre - Dixon, Illinois

The 1,140-seat Dixon Theatre was opened in 1922 and built on the site of the old Dixon Opera House, which was destroyed by a fire in 1920. Movies lasted for six decades at the Dixon Theatre, but it, like many others, fell into disrepair and by the end of the 1980’s was shuttered. In the year following the closing of its doors, Dixon Theatre Renovation, Inc. was formed and in October 1985, Dixon Theatre Renovation, Inc. signed a lease-purchase agreement and the Dixon Theatre, once again, became a showcase for the performing arts. The DTRI group knew the importance of continuing to use the Historic Theatre to generate income, but remained cautious to prevent further deterioration while plans to renovate the building accelerated.  The “quality throughout” slogan has stood the test of time and continues to be a major factor when doing any renovating or updating to the structure. 

The Dixon Theatre is home to a Barton 3 manual 12 rank theatre pipe organ, which is used for concerts and to accompany silent films. The debut concert commenced on October 15 with the world renowned Theatre Pipe Organist, originally from this area and now living in Phoenix, Ron Rhode. He dazzled area 4th and 5th grade students with the sounds of many familiar Disney tunes, as well as a few 40′s & 50′s tunes.  The day ended with Historic Dixon Theatre’s first Silent Movie being shown in over 40 years while Ron amazed the audience with his non-stop improvisational skills.  The silent movie, “Safety First”, had the audience laughing & Ron had you believing you were listening to a soundtrack.

The Barton organ on stage awaiting installation.

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