Wildey Theatre
Edwardsville
The Wildey Theatre at 252 N. Main St. first opened as an opera house in 1909. The theatre had been used for many different purposes, the last being a flea market before it closed in 1986. Edwardsville’s Main has seen new economic growth in the last decade, which lead seven different investment groups to come together to restore the Wildey and make it profitable again. On April 12, 2011, exactly 102 years after it first opened, the Wildey reopened and has since hosted school concerts, community theater productions, national musical performances and movies. The Wildey is a great source of pride to Southwest Illinois and is well‐loved and used. Today, the theatre once again serves as a community center for the arts & social gatherings and is again economically viable to the town of Edwardsville.