{{Short description|Art deco movie palace in Illinois, USA}} {{Use American English|date=July 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}} {{Infobox NRHP | name = Pickwick Theater Building | nrhp_type = | image = ParkRidgePickwick.jpg | caption = Pickwick Theatre | location = 5 S. Prospect Ave., Park Ridge, Illinois | coordinates = {{coord|42|0|38|N|87|49|45|W|display=inline,title}} | locmapin = Illinois#USA | built = 1928 | architect = Roscoe Harold Zook, William F. McCaughey, Alfonso Iannelli | architecture = Art Deco | added = February 24, 1975 | area = {{convert|0.4|acre}} | refnum = 75000657<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|version=2010a}}</ref> }} The '''Pickwick Theatre''' is an art deco movie palace located in Park Ridge, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/park-ridge/news/ct-prh-pickwick-anniversary-tl-0118-20180115-story.html |title=Pickwick Theatre celebrates 90 years in Park Ridge |last=Ingram |first=Bruce |work=Chicago Tribune |date =January 15, 2018 |access-date=2018-01-16 |language=en-US}}</ref>
Designed by Roscoe Harold Zook, William F. McCaughey, and Alfonso Iannelli, the Pickwick opened in 1928 as a vaudeville stage and movie theatre. It is widely recognized for its marquee and 100-foot tower, which appeared in the opening credits of ''At the Movies''.<ref>Mike Thomas. "Screen gems: Theaters are piling on the perks. Where should you see your next movie?" ''Chicago Sun-Times''. 3 March 2006.</ref> The main auditorium, built to resemble an Aztec or Mayan temple, originally seated up to 1,400 people.<ref>Avis L. Weatherbee. "Screen Gems: A Gilded Tour Of Our Remaining Movie Palaces". ''Chicago Sun-Times''. 18 March 1994.</ref> Seating capacity in the main auditorium was reduced by 200 seats in 1968 and an additional 400 seats in 2012 as the result of renovations. The 2012 renovation project, valued at $1.2 million, also included a new roof, mechanical improvements and exterior renovations including those to the original marquee.<ref>Sue Ter Maat. "Renovated Pickwick Theatre Slated For September Debut." ''Park Ridge Patch.'' 2 July 2012. https://patch.com/illinois/parkridge/new-and-improved-pickwick-theatre-slated-for-debut-in-september</ref>
The theater was named in 1928 by the mayor of Park Ridge, William H. Malone I, for the title character Samuel Pickwick in Charles Dickens' novel ''The Pickwick Papers''.<ref>Anne Lunde. "Park Ridge's Pickwick Restaurant Set To Close Dec. 7" ''Journal & Topics Online''. http://www.journal-topics.com/news/park_ridge/article_c2fb1f88-6e9a-11e4-9f1d-d7ba64b6bd91.html {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141204180254/http://www.journal-topics.com/news/park_ridge/article_c2fb1f88-6e9a-11e4-9f1d-d7ba64b6bd91.html |date=December 4, 2014 }}. 17 November 2014.</ref>
The building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975<ref>[http://www.nationalregisterofhistoricplaces.com/IL/Cook/state7.html Registered Historic Places in Cook County, Illinois]. Retrieved 21 June 2007.</ref> and continues to host films as well as live stage shows. In 1990, theatre management expanded the Pickwick by adding three new screens behind the original auditorium. In 2017, owner Dino Vlahakis added a 39-seat theatre located on the second floor of the rear building, in place of the theatre's offices.<ref>Jennifer Johnson. "Park Ridge's Pickwick adds new, 39-seat theater." ''Chicago Tribune''. 25 August 2017. http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/park-ridge/news/ct-prh-pickwick-new-theater-tl-0831-20170825-story.html</ref> In celebration of the 2018 Illinois Bicentennial, the Pickwick Theater was selected as one of the Illinois 200 Great Places <ref>{{cite news|last=Waldinger|first=Mike|title=The proud history of architecture in Illinois|url=https://springfieldbusinessjournal.com/2018/01/the-proud-history-of-architecture-in-illinois/|accessdate=30 January 2018|newspaper=Springfield Business Journal|date=January 30, 2018}}</ref> by the American Institute of Architects Illinois component (AIA Illinois).
In 2022, the Pickwick Theatre was featured in an episode of NBC's Chicago Fire.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.journal-topics.com/articles/pickwick-theater-set-ablaze-for-chicago-fire-scenes-in-park-ridge/ |title=Pickwick Theater Set Ablaze For ‘Chicago Fire’ Scenes In Park Ridge |last=Festenstein |first=Noah |work=Journal & Topics |date =August 19, 2022 |access-date=2024-02-24 |language=en-US}}</ref>
==Notes== {{reflist}}
==External links== {{commonscat-inline|Pickwick Theater}} *[http://www.pickwicktheatre.com/ Official Theatre Website] *[http://cinematreasures.org/theater/302/ The Pickwick] at cinematreasures.org *[http://www.illinoisgreatplaces.com/#welcome Illinois Great Places] - [http://www.illinoisgreatplaces.com/#detail/pickwick_theater-125/type=cultural/city=park_ridge Pickwick Theater] *[http://sah-archipedia.org/buildings/IL-01-031-0068 Society of Architectural Historians SAH ARCHIPEDIA entry on the Pickwick Theatre]
{{NRHP in Cook County, Illinois}}
Category:Buildings and structures on the National Register of Historic Places in Cook County, Illinois Category:Theatres on the National Register of Historic Places in Illinois Category:Theatres completed in 1928 Category:Park Ridge, Illinois Category:Art Deco architecture in Illinois Category:Art Deco cinemas and movie theaters Category:Buildings and structures in Cook County, Illinois Category:1928 establishments in Illinois