Biograph Theater

The Biograph Theater is a theater building in Chicago originally constructed in 1914 as a movie house, featuring red pressed brick walls with white-glazed terra cotta trim details. Inside, the main auditorium seats 299 people while a smaller studio theater with 135 seats occupies the upper floor, with the original 1914 ticket booth remaining in its original location outside.

The building opened in 1914 as a movie theater and gained notoriety from an event that occurred outside its entrance in 1934. It remained a cinema venue until 2004, when it was purchased and renovated to become a live theater performance space.

The building functions as a venue for live theater productions that bring together audiences from across the city. The space has transitioned from a place where people watched films on screens to one where actors perform directly in front of crowds.

Plan your visit with comfortable clothing suitable for a theater performance and arrive early to locate seating comfortably. The building sits in a walkable neighborhood with nearby parking options and public transportation access for convenient arrival.

The building was featured in a major Hollywood film production shot in 2008 that explored a famous criminal case from the past. The theater's exterior was carefully restored to its historical appearance from several decades earlier for this filming project.

Location: Chicago

Inception: 1914

Architects: Samuel N. Crowen

Official opening: 1914

Architectural style: Neoclassical architecture

Address: 2433 N. Lincoln Avenue, Chicago, IL 60657

Website: http://victorygardens.org

GPS coordinates: 41.92639,-87.64972

Latest update: December 13, 2025 00:16