The Paramount Theatre is a 1,693-seat theater in

Cedar Rapids Cedar Rapids is a city in Linn County, Iowa, United States, and its county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in u ...

Iowa Iowa ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the upper Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west; Wisconsin to the northeast, Ill ...

. It was individually listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

in 1976. In 2015 it was included as a

contributing property In the law regulating historic districts in the United States, a contributing property or contributing resource is any building, object, or structure which adds to the historical integrity or architectural qualities that make the historic dist ...

in the

Cedar Rapids Central Business District Commercial Historic District The Cedar Rapids Central Business District Commercial Historic District is a nationally recognized Historic districts in the United States, historic district located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, United States. It was listed on the National Register ...

. The theater is a restored example of a vaudeville/

movie palace A movie palace (or picture palace in the United Kingdom) is a large, elaborately decorated movie theater built from the 1910s to the 1940s. The late 1920s saw the peak of the movie palace, with hundreds opening every year between 1925 and 1930. Wi ...

of the 1920s. It was damaged by the flood of June 2008, which submerged most of downtown Cedar Rapids. The Paramount serves as home to Orchestra Iowa, the Cedar Rapids Area Theater Organ Society, and a series of Community Concerts. It is famous for its restored

Wurlitzer The Rudolph Wurlitzer Company, usually referred to as simply Wurlitzer, is an American company started in Cincinnati in 1853 by German immigrant (Franz) Rudolph Wurlitzer. The company initially imported stringed, woodwind and brass instruments ...

theater organ A theatre organ (also known as a theater organ, or, especially in the United Kingdom, a cinema organ) is a type of pipe organ developed to accompany silent films from the 1900s to the 1920s. Theatre organs have horseshoe-shaped arrangements of ...

, which could be lifted up from below stage level when used. The Paramount is included in the

Early history

The Paramount first opened on September 1, 1928, and was at the time called the Capitol Theater. For its first year, it presented a full range of comedians, singers, dancers, acrobats, movies, and audience sing-alongs; its "Mighty

" organ was central to much of the entertainment it provided. In 1929 it was purchased by

Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation, commonly known as Paramount Pictures or simply Paramount, is an American film production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the flagship namesake subsidiary of Paramount ...

, and given its current name. The theater's architectural ideal was palatial, with a "Hall of Mirrors" patterned after that in

Versailles The Palace of Versailles ( ; ) is a former royal residence commissioned by King Louis XIV located in Versailles, Yvelines, Versailles, about west of Paris, in the Yvelines, Yvelines Department of Île-de-France, Île-de-France region in Franc ...

and expensive oil paintings, busts, furniture and other treasures. Most of this was removed in the 1950s.

Restoration in 1970s

The theater's website says it was "gifted" to the city of Cedar Rapids in December 1975. A 15-member commission was formed to develop it, and decided that the theater should be restored to its original state. To fund the restoration, the committee undertook a fund drive that raised $400,000 (about $1.75 million in 2008 dollars) from businesses and individuals. No tax revenues were used.

Renovation in 2000s

A second renovation fund-drive was undertaken in 2001, raising $7.8 million (about $9.5 million in 2008 dollars). A key funding source was a State of

culture and tourism grant. The renovation took place in 2003 and added a 57' wing space, a reception hall, and much-improved HVAC system and electrical and fire system. It also repaired or replaced seat covers, restrooms, and carpeting. After the 2003 renovation, the main floor of the theater seated 1126 and the balcony seated 787. The theater kept an autograph book of all famous performers who had appeared on its stages.

Flood of 2008

The Paramount Theatre was damaged by the epic flood that began in the early morning of Wednesday, June 11, 2008 when the Cedar River rose over its banks. When the record-breaking flood waters crested at 32 feet on Friday, June 13, 2008, most of downtown Cedar Rapids was covered in a toxic mix of garbage and river water, including the Paramount. Restoration of the Paramount Theatre was scheduled to be completed in the fall of 2012. The console, lift, and blower of the Mighty Wurlitzer theater organ were destroyed by the flood.Further updates on the organ and its progress with photos can be found a
CRATOS website
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Notes

Sources

* ''Opera Houses of the Midwest'', p. 34. Mid-America Theatre Conference:1988 *

External links

Paramount Theatre

CRATOS website
– Cedar Rapids Area Theatre Organ Society {{Music venues of Iowa Theatres on the National Register of Historic Places in Iowa National Register of Historic Places in Cedar Rapids, Iowa Tourist attractions in Cedar Rapids, Iowa Theatres completed in 1928 Concert halls in the United States Performing arts centers in Iowa Buildings and structures in Cedar Rapids, Iowa 1928 establishments in Iowa Individually listed contributing properties to historic districts on the National Register in Iowa Cinemas and movie theaters in Iowa Former cinemas in the United States