The 600-seat brick Wieting Theatre in Toledo opened its doors September 12, 1912, with a capacity crowd for the Sheehan English Opera Company’s presentation of “Il Travatore.” As with many theatres across the country, focus shifted to movies and by the late 1950s, with the advent of television, the Wieting Theatre cut back to a part-time schedule. By 1958, the doors had temporarily closed.

Two years later, a group a concerned Toledo residents organized the Toledo Community Theatre Guild and took over operations of the historic facility. A reopening ceremony was held in September 1960, and in the spring of 1961, the first live production was presented by the Cornell College Players.

The Wieting Theatre is currently undergoing a substantial renovation project; a grand reopening is planned for January 2012, with new restrooms, new seats, new electrical systems, new heating and cooling, and a state-of-the-art digital sound and digital 3D projection systems.

Problems with electrical wiring and sanitary sewage caused the community-owned Traer Theatre to close its doors in 2002. The closing sparked a well-organized grassroots effort to repair, restore, and reopen the theatre, located in an 1895 building in downtown Traer in Tama County. Along with hundreds of hours of volunteer labor, local businesses and residents contributed over $150,000 over a four-year period, allowing the renovated theatre to reopen to the public in August 2006.

Today, the Traer Theatre continues to show first-run movies four days each week for just $2.00 per ticket. The 144-seat, volunteer-run theatre has received additional upgrades since the initial renovation, including a state-of-the-art sound system donated by a local bank. For current showtimes, check out the theatre’s website or call the movie line at (319) 478-2094.