Egyptian Theatre (DeKalb, Illinois)

Egyptian Theatre
The Egyptian Theatre in DeKalb, Illinois
LocationDeKalb, DeKalb County, Illinois
Coordinates41°55′53″N 88°45′1″W / 41.93139°N 88.75028°W / 41.93139; -88.75028
Built1928–29
ArchitectElmer F. Behrns
Architectural styleEgyptian Revival
NRHP reference No.78003100[1]
Added to NRHPDecember 1, 1978

The Egyptian Theatre in DeKalb, Illinois, United States, is an Egyptian Revival theatre that is listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. The theatre was built in 1928 and 1929 as part of a much larger wave of national fascination with Ancient Egypt throughout the United States, due, in large part, to the discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb in 1922. The theatre was added to the National Register in 1978 and its 1,430-seat auditorium is currently DeKalb County's largest.

The building was designed by architect Elmer F. Behrns, who had an interest in Egyptology. The interior and exterior architecture reflect Egyptian cultural symbols. Stained glass work exhibits designs such as Ra, the Egyptian sun god and the scarab, a sacred Egyptian symbol. The building was nearly demolished in the 1970s but a restoration effort led by Preservation of the Egyptian Theatre (PET) saved the structure. Rumors have long surrounded the DeKalb Egyptian about secret messages allegedly hidden in the architecture and as well as ghost hauntings.[2] While the theater maintains there are no hidden messages in the building the ghost stories have persisted throughout the years. The Egyptian Theatre operates a 42-week season with up to 125 events annually.

  1. ^ "National Register Information System – Egyptian Theatre (#78003100)". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. April 15, 2008. Retrieved September 27, 2017.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference star was invoked but never defined (see the help page).