The Movies
One of my favorite things to do growing up, was go to the movies. My mother took me many times and I love looking at photos of old theaters in Peoria. The only one pictured here that I remember is the Beverly which closed down in the early 1990's. The last movie I saw there was Silence of the Lambs. I've seen many Disney movies there as a child (The original Freaky Friday, Bambi, Snow White, etc) and others through my teen years. Lethal Weapon 2 and Platoon come to mind. Back then, Landmark was the big cinema with Westlake and Metro Centre following. I miss these oldtime theaters. The other photos here are of theaters that got my attention. The Rialto was demolished to make way for the Peoria Civic Center and The Garden Theater really sparked my interest! It operated through the 1920's and was closed in 1942 - a year before my mother was born! She is from that area of Peoria and always remarks about how wonderful it was back then. Here's to the oldtime theaters that are now treasures of Peoria!
