A 501(c)(3) public charity | 317 E. Market St. | Logansport, Ind., 46947 | info@statetheatrelive.com
Our History
President Andrew Jackson approved a treaty between the U.S. and George Cicott, chief of the Potowatomies, in 1829 — the first recorded transaction of the land that would become the State Theatre. Cicott would own the land until 1839 when he sold it to Chauncey Carter, one of Logansport's founding fathers and the city's first surveyor.
The building would house a number of businesses over the next 100 years, most notably Seybold's Dry Goods, which moved after building a new store at 421 E. Market — now The Gallery Home Furnishings.
In 1937, the Logansport Theatre Corp. purchased the building and began transforming it into the State Theatre. On Saturday, June 8, 1940, the State opened with a gala event and screening of its first movie, "My Favorite Wife," starring Irene Dunne and Cary Grant.
The State is the only remaining theatre in downtown Logansport, where three others once operated with just a few blocks — the Roxy, the Logan and the Paramount. The last first-run movie was shown at the State in 2012.
In 2014, Kevin Burkett purchased the theatre and began the long process of restoring the structure. The theatre was transformed into what is now primarily a live performance venue. In 2016, he gifted the theatre to the non-profit State Theatre Preservation Society to ensure it would be saved and preserved for future generations.
Today, the State Theatre presents upward of 40 shows each season and welcomes more than 10,000 patrons annually. The theatre is on the Indiana and National Registers of Historic Places and is operated by a volunteer board of directors and staff. The State Theatre Preservation Society's mission is to promote local artists, develop educational programming and continue efforts to completely restore the theatre.
