The Eagle Theater: "Go to the Movies" Robinson Nightlife Tip by deecat

While visiting Robinson, my family was discussing both the Lincon Theater and the Gordon Drive-In], both operational when I was growing up in the town.

(I certainly recall the Gordon Drive-In Theater on Route #1 outside of Robinson. Alas, it was demolished...I'm sure all of us who frequented it have fond memories of what we called "the passion pit"!)

So, as we were driving toward Oblong, Illinois to go to a museum and to eat lunch, my brother-in-law informed me that Robinson now has a movie theater again.

This is not just ANY theater...it is a five-screen theater with stadium seating and digital sound.The Eagle opened in 2004. Evidently, it took much work on the part of citizens to bring a movie theater back to Robinson, starting with a market study and then continual hard work over nearly 7 years before it became a reality..

What I find really wonderful is that the Eagle Theater has named each of 4 auditoriums after previous theaters that were in Crawford County [of which Robinson is the County Seat].

The 5th auditorium is named Connie Legg [a real estate agent who worked to get this theater started. Sadly, she died from leukemia before it opened]

The Four named after previous theaters: Lincoln, the Grand, the Strand, and the Home. The first three named were theaters in Robinson at one time. The fourth one was a former Palestine theater.

The Strand [Robinson on West Main Street, 1916]. It burned on two different occasions.

The Grand [Robinson on Jefferson] started as an Opera House in 1908. Then it was turned into a movie theater, and it was razed in 1929.

Lincoln Theater was built in the very spot (114 North Jefferson) as The Grand. [in about 1929] It is the theater that I attended the entire time I lived in Robinson. Since Abraham Lincoln was a hero of mine, I remember it fondly. I especially remember the bust of Abraham Lincoln. It was closed in 1982 and demolished in 1988.

The Home was in Palestine, and I don't remember it at all.

I was told that each auditorium has one old-style theater seat in one of the first two rows. Is that not cool? [these seats came from the Lincoln Theater and was given to the Eagle by the Robinson firefighters.]

I'm so glad that Robinson finally has a movie theater again, and I'm so pleased that it honors the other theaters that came before it.

Address: 1802 West Main Street, Robinson, Illinois
Directions: West of Robinson on Route 33.
Phone: (618)-544-5855
Theme: Theater