Davis Theater, Historic movie theater in Lincoln Square, Chicago, US.
Davis Theater is a four-screen movie theater on Lincoln Avenue in the Lincoln Square neighborhood of Chicago, housed in a building from 1918 designed by architect Walter W. Ahlschlager. The structure is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and operates today as a working cinema showing current releases.
The building opened in 1918 as the Pershing Theater, named after General John J. Pershing, and went through the shift from silent films to sound in the 1930s. It later took the name Davis Theater, which it still carries today.
Lincoln Square was once the German neighborhood of Chicago, and this theater has been part of its daily life for over a century. Today it draws locals from all backgrounds who treat it as a neighborhood gathering point rather than just a place to watch films.
The theater sits on Lincoln Avenue and can be reached from different parts of Chicago without much difficulty. It is a good idea to check what is playing before heading there, as showtimes can vary by day.
Of the five movie houses that once operated in Lincoln Square, this is the only one still standing. In 1999, a community effort saved it from demolition at the last moment.
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