{"nrhp_refnum":"97000818","name":"Normal Theater","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"209 North St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Normal","county":"McLean County","state":"IL","lat":40.50923048300007,"lon":-88.98656803499995,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1997-07-25","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A single-building movie theater at 209 North Street in downtown Normal, McLean County, Illinois, built in 1937 and designed by Bloomington architect Arthur F. Moratz.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the theater is a good example of the Art Moderne style and the only Art Moderne building in Normal. It was also the first theater in Bloomington-Normal built specifically for sound films. Its exterior and interior were restored to their 1937 appearance in the 1990s.","narrative":"Opened on November 18, 1937, the Normal Theater is a movie house in downtown Normal, Illinois, designed by Bloomington architect Arthur F. Moratz. Built during the Great Depression for $150,000, it was the first theater in Bloomington-Normal made specifically for sound films. Its ivory stucco facade is banded with black vitrolite and topped by a red curved vertical tower and a neon-lit marquee. Inside, stenciled walls, a stepped ceiling with neon coves and indirect lighting carry the Art Moderne theme. The nomination describes it as the only Art Moderne building in Normal. A chain owner divided the auditorium in 1985, covering or removing some original features, and closed it in 1991. The Town of Normal bought the building that year and carried out a restoration of nearly one million dollars, returning it to its 1937 appearance. It reopened in October 1994 and was later honored with a statewide preservation award.","period_of_significance":"1937","architect_builder":"Moratz, Arthur F., Architect","architectural_style":"Art Moderne","criteria":["C"],"status_note":"Restored by the Town of Normal and reopened in October 1994; it shows classic, art and foreign films and also serves as a community performing arts and meeting venue.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:55:37.570425-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/53/8936/28893653/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_IL/97000818.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/97000818/95de1ead1e-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/97000818/95de1ead1e-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 2.0","author":"Teemu008 from Palatine, Illinois","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Normal_Theater_(5978150267).jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Teemu008 from Palatine, Illinois</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 2.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Normal_Theater_(5978150267).jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/28893653","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Normal_Theater","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7051785"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/illinois/mclean-county/normal-theater-97000818/"}