Meet us where old and new take center stage
The Lake Street Theatre had us at free popcorn refills!
This restored historic movie theatre in Oak Park is iconic for its blue and red marquee that lights up Lake Street at night. This is the kind of theater that invites you to sink into the plush seats, kick back, and disappear for two hours into another world.
Known as “the Lake,” the theater boasts seven screens with surround sound.
And it’s not just the freshly popped popcorn that earns a free refill. The Lake also offers free refills on fountain drinks and ICEEs!
The Lake offers matinee and evening shows. The best time to catch a movie at the Lake Theatre is Tuesdays when movies are $5 all day.
All shows before 6pm are $7. Shows after 6pm are $9. Tickets for kids aged 2-11 are $7. Tickets are $7 for seniors.
On Tuesdays, shows are just $5 all day!
The Lake Theatre is a family affair. Willis, Shirley, and Chris Johnson own the theater along with 14 other theaters across the Midwest. Willis and Shirley started rehabbing and restoring old theaters in 1978 and quickly grew a reputation for breathing new life into old theaters.
They enjoy restoring buildings to their original beauty while updating the theaters with the latest technology. It’s the perfect balance of new and old.
The family-owned business Classic Cinemas received the Landmark Illinois Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Preservation Award for Stewardship in 2011.
Self-proclaimed chief popcorn eater Chris Johnson grew up in the family business and serves as the CEO today.
The Lake Theatre is aptly named. It’s located at 1022 Lake Street in Oak Park. You can reach the movie theater on public transportation by taking the CTA Green Line to the Harlem/Lake Stop or the Union Pacific West Metra train to the Oak Park Stop. The Lake is about a five-minute walk from either stop.
