Lindo Theatre History

Designed by architects C.W. Rapp and George L. Rapp, famous for the several Chicago icons including the Chicago Theatre, Oriental Theatre (now the Nederlander Theatre), and Palace Theatre, the Lindo is the oldest theatre in the Classic Cinemas family and opened on April 17, 1922. Owned by John Dittman, the single-screen theatre held a contest to name itself. The winning entry was derived from the names of Abraham LINcoln and Stephen Douglas to commemorate the second of the famous Lincoln-Douglas debate series, which took place in Freeport in 1858.

The Bennis family took over in 1939 and renamed it the Freeport Theatre, operating it for three generations until 1983. A year later, Classic Cinemas bought the theatre and began a rehab and expansion project. Guests liked having more movie choices so large one-screens were dividing into multiple auditoriums all over the country. We followed suit, but as with all our projects, meticulous detail was put into preserving historical aspects of the theatre whenever possible. Original plasterwork and terrazzo were recast and restored along with the installation of new projection and sound technologies. We've continued our dedication to the best guest experience while maintaining historic charm throughout the years, including replicating the original vertical signage and adding heated recliners to select auditoriums. 

Century Series

Join us in celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Lindo Theatre with a year-long series featuring a memorable movie from each decade. Tickets are on sale at regular admission for the first half of the series. The second half of the series will be unveiled later in the year.

PAST SELECTION

April - Miss Lulu Bett

May - King Kong

June - Citizen Kane

July - Vertigo

August - 2001: A Space Odyssey

September - Grease

October - Raiders of the Lost Arc

November - Shawshank Redemption

December - 

Lord of the Rings -

The Fellowship of the Ring

Extended Version

MOVIE LINEUP