Welcome to the Wildey Theatre! This stately site opened in 1909 as an opera house, with the second floor serving as a meeting hall for the Independent Order of Oddfellows. The theatre was named for Thomas Wildey, an Englishman who moved to Baltimore in 1817 and became known as the Order of Oddfellows founder in America.

The Wildey Theatre remained an entertainment destination in downtown Edwardsville until 1984. More than 400 people were in attendance on March 8, 1984, when a big-screen showing of "The Big Chill" marked the end of an era for the historic theatre.  In 1986, the City's Historic Preservation Commission designated the building as a Local Landmark.

In the years since it opened, the Wildey underwent many transformations, but the grandest was yet to come. Recognizing the Wildey Theatre's importance to downtown development efforts, the City acquired the property in 1999 with a state grant  and the support of many in the community. The ensuing renovation brought the Wildey Theatre back to life in 2011 as a venue for live performances, events and movies. 

Explore a timeline of the Wildey, check out photographs over the years and learn about the renovation effort that brought it back to life for longtime fans and a new generation of patrons, too. Wildey History