Sycamore’s State Street Theater, 420 W. State St., has recently undergone some major renovations.

The theater reopened Friday with the release of “Iron Man” after being closed for two weeks due to renovations.

The improvements include new, handicap-accessible bathrooms, full remodeling of the lobby and new computer systems that accept debit and credit cards.

“We’re trying to give it a 1920s look inside, even though it is still very modern,” said Daryl Hopper, owner and operator of the theater.

According to the Sycamore Movie Theater Web site, the original 925-foot theater opened in 1925 as the Fargo Theater and featured live stage performances. In 1940, the theater was renamed the State Theater and movies became the main attraction.

Hopper said in 1972, the theater became a church and remained so for 17 years until 1989, when the building became a theater again and tripled its size. In 2000, new seats were added to the theater.

“It looks really pretty,” Hopper said. “We just really renovated everything top to bottom.”

Movie tickets are $6 for all seats and all showtimes, Hopper said.

Deidra Owen is an interior designer and painter who has worked with Hopper in the renovations for the past two weeks.

“It’s an older theater that looks beautiful,” Owen said.

In addition to painting the bathrooms, Owen added a leather look to the theater’s hallway and a suede look to the lobby.

“It’s very well done,” Owen said. “It’s a very comfortable, soothing and inviting place.”

Hopper also said that later this month, she is planning to open a hot dog stand at 422 W. State St., just at the corner of the theater.

The stand, Riccardi’s Hot Dog Stand, is tentatively expected to open May 15 and will have a 1950s theme.

“We will have boomerang countertops and 1957 Chevy seats,” Hopper said.

Hopper said in the fall, she hopes to arrange for customers to order from the hot dog stand at the theater and have the food delivered to them while they watch a movie.

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