Located in the heart of downtown Cedar Rapids, Iowa, the Iowa Theater Building is home to Theatre Cedar Rapids, which is among Iowa’s largest community theatres.

The theatre first opened its doors in 1928 as a vaudeville and movie house. The 1200 seat theatre was beautifully furnished with ornate antiques and offered one of the first “crying rooms” for mothers with fussy babies. A “Rhinestone Barton” theatre organ dominates the orchestra pit, and is the only one of its type still in operation today. Live acts were performed in front of the silent movie screen to the accompaniment of the organ. It was about a year later that the vaudeville acts took a backseat to the more popular moving pictures. For the next 50 years, the Iowa, with its hallmark two-story ear of corn on the corner facade, was one of Cedar Rapids’ largest and most popular movie houses.

Shortly after closing its doors as a movie theatre in 1980, the Iowa became the new home to the Cedar Rapids Community Theatre. Over 2.5 million was raised in two capital campaigns to readapt the facility to a 513 seat, handicapped accessible proscenium-stage theatre. Rehearsal space, dressing rooms, a new green room and administrative offices were added. Much of the original grandeur was retained, while adding state-of-the-art lighting, sound and stage rigging systems. Four years ago, the scene shop was moved to a spacious off-site location.

In addition to the mainstage season, the facility remains busy throughout the year with other events, ranging from stand-up comedians to puppet shows to symphony chamber concerts.

Early in 2008, Theatre Cedar Rapids announced “The Next Act” capital campaign to refurbish the Iowa Theater Building.  Following the disastrous midwestern Flood of 2008, which displaced TCR from its home, the organization renewed its commitment to the building and the campaign, and theGrand Reopening was held on February 26, 2010.