Venue Information

The Historic Dixon Theatre has an interesting past, an exciting present and a promising future.

In 1920, Leonard G. Rorer, then manager of Dixon’s Family Theatre, announced he had purchased the site of the old Opera House in downtown Dixon “for the purpose of erecting the finest show house to be found between Chicago and Des Moines and from Rockford to LaSalle”. The Dixon Opera House had opened in 1876 and was the entertainment center of the area until it was destroyed by fire in early 1920.

On March 15, 1922, the Dixon Evening Telegraph announced in its headline the opening of the new Dixon Theatre. A large picture of the theatre’s façade had a prominent position on the front page and several columns were devoted to a description of the interior features and decorations.

In 1922, the Dixon Theatre cost $200,000.00 to build and the local architect was William J. McAlpine, who also designed the Lee County Courthouse, the Old Post O ...