Pictorial History of Mattoon's Theaters
Built in the summer of 1896, the Mattoon theater opened with Clay Clements in "The New Dominion", as well as "The Bells" the next night (Sept. 23, 1896).
It cost $25,000 to build the 3 floor theater, which included 6 dressing rooms, 10 proscenium boxes, 2 balconies, and steam heat.
A scene looking down Broadway, c. 1900, the street that housed Mattoon's theaters at the turn of the century.
The Time Theater opened in 1937, one of the last theaters to open in downtown Mattoon to date.
The Dole Opera House opened in 1896 as the first vaudeville-based theater in Mattoon.
Children were often entertainers as seen in this marriage portrayal at the Dole Opera House in 1912.
Children also the largest audience to attend theaters, as seen outside the Mattoon Theater c. 1920.
Minstrel show as part of the Philharmonic theater group, October 29, 1898.
*All photos are courtesy of Local History Room, Mattoon Public Library
