Feature: The Des Plaines Theatre celebrates 100 Years
The historic Des Plaines Theatre, located at 1476 Miner St. in Des Plaines, IL, celebrates its 100th anniversary on August 9. The century-old venue, initially opened in 1925, was closed for several years. Thankfully, current Arcada Theatre owner Ron Onesti acquired the theater in 2018, and with the help of the City of Des Plaines, they rehabbed the building and reopened it in 2021. “The city of Des Plaines, in its efforts to develop downtown through massive economic development that the Rivers Casino kicked off, had some money to spend on community infrastructure. So the city took about $2 million from Rivers, and they purchased the theater,” Onesti explains during a recent phone conversation. “They came to my place (Arcada) and said, ‘This is what we want, what you have here.’ So, I took a place that was completely condemned, and we gutted it, including the floors and the ceilings. We replaced everything and designed it back to the way it was in 1925.”
The 900-seat capacity entertainment venue, decorated with a 1920s-inspired speakeasy, has hosted numerous big-name acts and stand-up comedians throughout its history. The current calendar at Des Plaines Theatre features a variety of oldies bands, classic rockers, nationally touring tribute acts, and contemporary stand-up comedians. August dates alone boast a variety of top-notch acts, including Herman’s Hermits starring Peter Noone, Taylor Swift and Journey tribute bands, the Moody Blues’ John Lodge, comedian Anthony Rodia, and the Little River Band. According to Onesti, you can’t please everyone, but you can try. “We try to have something for everybody. We’ll have comedy, country music, and stuff for kids. Then we’ll have hard rock/metal bands, classic rock; we’ll do some contemporary rock… all different things.”
According to Onesti, attending a show at the Des Plaines Theatre is all about the complete experience. “Every seat in the house is a great seat; there’s absolutely no obstructed views. The sound is all our own internal sound and lights. It’s all top-of-the-line, professional, major sound, lighting, and equipment. I’ve been doing this for a long time, so we know exactly what the acts need. When you get there, it’s like walking back into the 1920s, but not in a way where the place is old. It’s like you’re in the 1920s, and it’s brand new, and you walk in, and it’s just a grand venue. All the entertainers love it, and my dressing rooms are made like a 1950s diner, so the entertainers really get treated properly. It’s really a cool situation.”
Not only does Onesti manage the daily operations of both theaters, but he also has the opportunity to interact with all the performers on a personal level. One of the highlights of Onesti’s job is writing his own “Backstage with Ron Onesti” articles that are featured on the venue’s website. At the end of the day, he’s just a massive music fan. “Well, of course it’s tremendously fun,” he says without hesitation. “I’m not ashamed to say that I’m a huge super fan of all these acts, and I really enjoy being with them, knowing them, and learning about them. I get to be friendly with them because I’ve been working with some of them for so long. Then we also cook for the bands. So, they really feel like they’re coming home. I get to see the personal side of them. I’ve had some pretty cool experiences in the last 40 years—or the last 20 years with the two theaters. People like to hear about these experiences.”
To celebrate the day, there will be various giveaways, along with a procession down Miner Street featuring vintage cars with Charlie Chaplin leading the charge. The grand marshal, Priscilla Presley, will be hosting a Q&A session after the procession, followed by the evening’s musical guests, which include Micky Dolenz of The Monkeys, Jim Peterik of Survivor/The Ides of March, and Danny Seraphine, former drummer of Chicago.
In addition to the 100th anniversary celebration of the Des Plaines Theatre, Onesti’s other venue, the Arcada Theater in St. Charles, will also be hitting its 100th anniversary on Sept. 6, 2026. “The best part about being a part of these places is that so many people give me their stories of how they met their wife here, or their first date was at the theater, or how they brought their kids to the Saturday afternoon movies,” Onesti reflects. “Just all these family memories are centered around the theater. I take that as a responsibility, and I take it as a trophy as well.”
Cheers to another 100 years for both venues.
-Kelley Simms
