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Wildey Theatre

252 N. Main St., Edwardsville, IL
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Through 110+ years, and a a remodelings in the 1930s, the Wildey has gone from live theatricals and vaudeville to silent films to talkies while entertaining countless thousands of patrons. Originally the Independent Order of Odd Fellows (I.O.O.F.), who spearheaded the construction and owned the building, used second floor as a meeting hall.

The theatre opened as a 1,150 seat opera house in 1909. It had two balconies, opera boxes and an orchestra pit with a Gratian organ. When it was renovated in 1936/7 the opera boxes and one of the balconies were removed reducing the seating capacity to something like 600. In that renovation the original wicker seats were replaced with new seating. Another part of the renovation included installing a new sound system. Out front the theatre received the very cool Art Deco style Marquee with its neon lighting that we still see today. It closed as a movie theatre in 1984.

The City acquired the property in 1999 and after a 2.9 million dollar renovation it reopened in 2011 as a center for the performing arts. The

The exterior of the theatre has been restored to the Art Deco style that was established in a mid 1930s remodeling. The building originally featured an ornate iron and glass entrance canopy.

Photo(s): 2016