The infamous Tivoli Theatre in the Delmar Loop will be celebrating its history over the past 90 years on May 24. Though there will be no block party like some employees suggested, the theater will be celebrated in a cinematic way with the showing of Meet Me in St. Louis. The first showing begins at 4 p.m. 

“We’re expecting it to have a pretty big turn out,” said Tivoli ticket taker Lacy Dodson.

Upon the theater’s first opening in 1924, The Tivoli was only a single screen theater and had a street car service. The theater remained open for many years, but slowly declined in business until it was shut down in 1994. Over $2 million of renovations occurred with the 1995 re-opening. The 1995 renovations brought stages for live performances, more viewing screens, and a whole new audience.

“ I have only worked here for two years,” Dodson said. “We haven’t changed all that much in that time, but I know some major changes have happened since the renovation.”

The Tivoli strays from the path that other theaters tend to follow. Playing documentaries, independent films, and foreign language films, The Tivoli draws an audience of all ages. 

“We are exposing people to movies that not a lot of people know about. People are forced to go out of the box of generic movies,” Dodson said.

The Tivoli isn’t just about watching films, besides being a historic sight full of Hollywood memorabilia, the theater offers audience participation viewing for certain films. 

“We also have live performances. The Rocky Horror Picture Show usually draws a big audience,” said Tivoli Theater Manager Tom Ansen.

From the neon sign out front, to the old fashioned seating and stages, The Tivoli has, and will continue to add to the overall energy of the Delmar Loop.

“At night we’ve seen herds of people going into the theater,” said Heather Stevens, employee of Noodles and Company, restaurant adjacent to The Tivoli.“They all seem excited to be there. I can’t say I’ve ever seen someone leave looking disappointed.”