Historic Hoosier Theater

The Hoosier Theater that you see today had its humble beginnings in 1837. It is one of the oldest commercial structures in downtown Vevay Indiana.  As if it knew that it would be reborn as a theater, upon whose stage would be enacted comedies, tragedies, musicals, and every type of live theater entertainment, the building itself has worn many faces.

Originally built as a warehouse and store, designed to serve the thriving river traffic of the time, it has since housed a saddlery, the local post office, the offices of the Vevay newspapers, and even a tavern.  It became a building for popular entertainment in 1926, when Minor Bakes purchased the building and converted it into a movie theater. When the movie theater closed in 1955, it remained unoccupied for much of the next 28 years, awaiting its “reawakening”.

A very forward thinking group of residents, business leaders and community organizations (now known at “Historic Vevay, Inc”) contributed their time, expertise and money to rejuvenate this multifaceted old building in 1983. Four years later, a newly renovated “Hoosier Theater” gave the community its first theatrical presentation in over thirty years!