DES MOINES, Iowa — After more than a decade, the curtains will rise again at the historic Ingersoll Theater in November, and tickets will be available starting this week.

The Ingersoll Theater was built during the height of the Great Depression and opened in 1939 in the Ingersoll Avenue district. It is one of Des Moines’ last surviving historic movie houses.

It was among the first theaters in Iowa built exclusively for sound films, and it cost $35,000. The exterior was green glazed brick and it had an iconic neon-lit marquee.

In 1977, the theater closed for the first time, but it came back two years later as the Ingersoll Dinner Theater where it hosted musicals, comedies, and performances while pairing the entertainment with meals.

In 2004, the beloved theater started to decline and ten years later, it closed for good.

Des Moines native, Connor Delaney grew up going to the Ingersoll Dinner Theater with his grandmother. Now the broker of White Oak Realty in Des Moines, Delaney purchased the theater in 2022 with the goal of reinstating its golden era.

He secured $1.75 million in state and federal historic tax credit to support its restorations.

In 2024, he partnered with Steve Peters of VenuWorks to bring his vision to life. At the start of 2025, Delaney told WHO 13 News that the Ingersoll Theater will reopen later this year.

The theater, now called The Ingersoll, is set to reopen on Thanksgiving Weekend after undergoing upgrades, including stabilizing the structure, replacing the roof, modernizing system, and more.

Executive Director Renee Crowell said the construction on the theater along Ingersoll Avenue will also wrap up around the same time. The green brick is in the process of being restored and a new marquee will soon light up Ingersoll Avenue.

Crowell is a St. Louis native who has over 20 years of experience in live events, arts, and strategic operations. She moved to Des Moines a couple months ago for the new opportunity at The Ingersoll.

Before returning to the Heartland, she served served as the Chief Operating Officer for a 10,000-capacity outdoor venue, overseeing programming, sponsorships, retail strategic operations and guest services in Pennsylvania.

She said she is excited to be part of a project that is deeply rooted in the Des Moines community.

“I’ve talked to just about every business up and down this block. Everybody has some kind of tie to it [the theater],” said Crowell. “We’re just so happy that we’re going to bring more jobs and bring more growth down to this side of Ingersoll.”

Her husband, Chris, will lead operations at The Ingersoll.

Crowell said the new and improved theater will be an upgrade to what Des Moines residents remember.

The renovated space will seat up to 225 guests. There will be an upper mezzanine, which will serve as a VIP section, that can hold up to 44 people but has 16 seats that overlook the stage.

There will be brunch and dinner menus, including food items like pancakes, omelets, prime rib, steak, fish, desserts, signature cocktails, and more.

There will be live performances, including singers and comedians.

“It’s going to be completely elevated. You’re going to have seated dinner. You’re going to get the true Ingersoll experience when you come to the theater,” said Crowell. “We’re so proud of the programming and the shows that we’re putting together for the city. We’ve got a bunch of Christmas shows booked, we’ve got some comedy coming your way.”

In January, Marilyn Maye will be at The Ingersoll for a hometown performance. She is a 97-year-old, Grammy-nominated singer who graduated from Des Moines’ East High School in 1946.

Tickets for The Ingersoll will start to go on sale on Friday September 12th on the theater’s website.