DuPage Theatre and DuPage Shoppes
The DuPage Theatre and DuPage Shoppes, nicknamed "The Dupe", was a historic movie theater in Lombard, Illinois.
DuPage Theatre and DuPage Shoppes | |
Formerly listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places | |
 The DuPage Theatre and Shoppes in the late 1970’s | |
   | |
| Location | 101-109 S. Main St. Lombard, DuPage County, Illinois, U.S. |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 41°53′9″N 88°1′4″W |
| Built | 1928 |
| Architect | R. G. Wolff |
| NRHP reference No. | 87002047 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | November 20, 1987 |
| Removed from NRHP | January 2, 2020 |
History
The 800 capacity theater was designed by R. G. Wolff, who formerly worked for Rapp and Rapp. Wolff was a consultant for the Chicago Theatre. The theater was named after the county in an effort to bring out-of-town customers to the shows. Built in 1927, The DuPage was a Spanish Patio style theater (like the Uptown), that also incorporated commercial and residential aspects in its buildings. The theater was originally a single screen but in its last years divided up into 2 screens playing $1 movies. As a small town, the six shops incorporated into the theater comprised a large portion of the village's commerce at the time. The shops and theater also benefited from their proximity to the Chicago and North Western Railway.
The DuPage Theatre and DuPage Shoppes were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1987. In 1990, Paul Anderson, and Fatal Beauty Studios (a local recording studio) attempted to open the theatre as a concert hall, but the Village Board turned them down. In the interim, as the theatre lay vacant, numerous rock bands and artists from Fatal Beauty lived and rehearsed in the theatre and apartments, including such well known bands as Material Issue and Macabre. In 2000, the property was purchased by Big Idea Productions, Inc., a producer of children's videos. The company planned to renovate the theater and use the other space for their corporate headquarters. They pulled out after determining that the site would not be large enough for their plans. The theater entered a new deal with the village in 2000 giving them full ownership. Lombard appointed several committees to oversee the feasibility to rehabilitate the theater. Their efforts were ultimately fruitless, and in May 2007, the DuPage Theatre and DuPage Shoppes were demolished. They were removed from the National Register in 2020. The land where the building stood remains vacant and the parking lot used for commuter parking.