Our hope is to restore the Chateau to a fully functioning performing arts center, creating community that is inclusive, culturally diverse and vital for the city of Rochester. Chateau Performing Arts Center
15 First Street SW, Rochester, Minnesota 55902
Located in downtown Rochester, Minnesota the Chateau Theater was built in 1927 and remains one of the most significant historic structures in the
city. Its unique French Village decor includes interior balconies, turrets and on the ceiling, stars of the night sky. The Chateau opened as a Vaudeville house and over the last 90 years has played a vital role in the community as a movie theater and later bookstore and coffee shop. The Chateau was the first approved DMC (Destination Medical Center) project in Rochester, and its restoration was to be paid for with the .5% sales tax earmarked for the City's financial obligation to the DMC plan. Our hope is that the City will restore the Chateau Theater back to use as a fully functioning performing arts center as described by the Chateau Task Force committee and the Miller Dunwidde architectural firm. It is vital to make the theatre as accessible as possible for the people of Rochester. We have the opportunity to create community that is creative, inclusive, culturally diverse and extend that hospitality to our visitors. Can you imagine seeing a film, hearing an orchestra, listening to local and invited musicians, watching a dance performance? With 27 public schools in the district, can you imagine seeing your child in a play at our downtown Chateau? Organ recitals for silent movie nights as well as state wide competitions? What about expanding our International Film Festival? We could even create a writers and artists lecture series, inviting local, national, and even international artists to speak about their work. The unique potential and location would provide an invaluable opportunity for the enrichment of this public amenity in the Heart of the City.
