Edwardsville is so lucky to have this vintage entertainment venue. I have fond memories of coming here as a child to see movies with my cousins. It's where I saw many of the classic Disney animation films and one of my favorite musicals, Sound of Music. Today, I went for a taping of a STL news program. Great Day St. Louis was doing a live broadcast promoting, the centennial of Route 66. The program was not only informative, but entertaining as well. I enjoyed seeing the old theatre that now host, concerts, comedians, movies and a variety of other activities. Seeing the old concession stand, plaques on the walls and the vintage decor added to my flashback of the good ole days. Seeing the second floor as an event space was super cool. It would be great for a wedding reception, retirement party or a momentous birthday or anniversary. If you're in need of a party space, be sure to check, The Wildey. read more

See all

Great venue. Not a bad seat in the house and food and drinks are reasonably priced. And the ticket prices are affordable

Nice place. We saw Jaws. The place was clean and had good popcorn. The restrooms were clean. Had a good sound system. Would come again.

Let's get the pronunciation right: It's the "Wile"-"dee" Theater, with a long "I" sound. If you're a fan of the old roadrunner cartoon, then you might try to remember that it rhymes with "Wile E." Coyote. This is an old place in Edwardsville, with a history going back to at least 1909. It seemed to die in 1984, its last show being "The Big Chill." Twenty-seven years later, the Wildey has reopened. If you live in Edwardsville, then you know that the Wildey renovation has been a big deal, accomplished at a great cost, over a span of several years, championed by several community leaders. First impressions: When you enter the main door, there's an antique shop to the left, wine bar to the right, and concessions straight ahead. Hallways left and right of concessions lead to the main floor, and stairways left and right lead to balcony. Once in the theatre, you'll find the stage and/or screen are of modest size, but the interior is well designed and proportioned. We checked out the main floor, but decided to sit in the balcony, front row. The sound is pretty good, and it's a fun place to see a film. After our visit (for a showing of "Jaws"), we stepped into the "Encore Wine Bar" for just a moment. It's a cozy space full of rich, dark wood, so freshly finished you can still smell a hint of varnish. Reports from friends are promising, and we'll be back to visit. Like many places in old E'ville, parking for the Wildey may be difficult to find. You might want to download the map from the Wildey's website with officially sanctioned parking areas, just in case you don't see a space open on Main Street. Personally, I prefer to park down College Street to the east. read more

See all

What a great place to catch a live play or concert. They always have good quality entertainment and a wide variety of musical tastes. The dueling piano concerts are really fun! Good leg room between the rows of seats and there's not a bad seat in the house. A nice intimate concert experience with only a few hundred seats. read more

Absolutely love this venue! Fantastic place for concerts and movies. Not a bad seat in the house. Clean, free parking, great shows. Just can't say enough great things about this place. read more

The Wildey Theatre - Eric Gales meet and greet-AWESOME SHOW!!! - Cinema Near Me - Edwardsville, Illinois

Lovely venue. Always comfortable and efficient. Al Canal is a great host. All of the people who work there are friendly.

Sweet vintage theatre in a quaint town. Saw "Defending the Caveman" here in February and wondered if someone hadn't paid the heat bill. Mercy, it was cold in there. The show was great, especially since the actor interacted with the audience. Love the old lights and old-time feel. And though I missed them (dammit) it seems they had cake balls for sale in the snack shack portion of the theatre. read more

Went to a $2 Tuesday night movie and fell in love with the Wildey. A nostalgic experience. Buying tickets at the ticket booth under the marquee made me feel like I was stepping back in time. The staff was amazing. It felt like they all were an intimate part of this historic place. We had several staff members personally thank us for coming on the way out. Wow! When have you had that at a movie theatre lately. They have a nice concessions booth. Beer and wine is a nice touch from the stage left bar. We can't wait to see a concert at our newly discovered gem. read more

Unless you're a local you probably have never heard of the Wildey Theatre in Edwardsville, Let me add to the other reviews: This is a great venue for live entertainment. If you have never visited this establishment please checkout their website and sign up to get their emails announcing all shows. There is not a bad seat in the house. (OK I haven't sat in all the seats but I've sat stage left and right on the floor and balcony.) Plenty of leg room and a comfortable chair is difficult to find anywhere but the Wildey delivers! Go see one show and you'll be a supporter too! read more

Saw Blazing Saddles there; it was my first experience at the Wildey, and I loved it. The theater maintains it's original old time look while the inside has definitely been brought up to the ages. The popcorn and other concessions are extremely reasonable in price, which was a fantastic surprise. They show a variety of film genres from all decades and often have some sort of live act as well (a band, play, storyteller, etc). Almost anyone will be able to find something they will enjoy during any given month at the Wildey. One suggestion Wildey: When showing some of the cult classics, or any film for that matter, it would be fun for someone to ask some trivia questions about the film before the film begins, or fun questions like "Who drove the farthest to come here?" Prizes could easily be: a free popcorn, candy, soda, ticket, etc. Just a fun idea to increase the experience. Take the time and support our local theater, it's worth it! read more

Nice intimate theatre with great seating lower or upper, very clean, nice curbside appeal. We saw capitol steps show

UPDATE as a response to the owner...a GUEST stole a traffic cone, not the bridal party. We have advised everyone we know not to use them, and they have heeded our advice! Also, I have family that works for the City of Edwardsville, and she can confirm that this venue is very difficult to work with. read more

Went with my best friend while visiting home. We went to Laurie's next door for a pitcher and then came to the 8pm showing of national lampoon Christmas vacation. Great to see it for the first time in a vintage theater. They offer popcorn, soda, I believe beer even. A couple loud fellow movie goers but it was an enjoyable event especially since it was free. Tuesday's in December are $2 movies and I plan to come back! read more

I had my wedding ceremony at the Wildey November 7th 2015. I cannot express to you enough how GREAT my experience was. Janel took care of my every question without hesitation. She helped me every step of the way. When I arrived her staff was so accomodating. They spoke over walkie talkies to help organize and shuffle people around, and to make sure music and timing was perfect. I didn't have to worry about a single thing. Janel went above and beyond, she even helped manage a few rocky family situations without hesitation! If you are looking into the Wildey for your wedding. I highly suggest it! read more

I'm basing my review on the staff(besides the concession stand attendee) not so much the theatre. Went to see a movie during the St. Louis International Film Festival...the staff were grumpy, unfriendly and non-customer service orientated. Stood in line for ever because the printer in the box office went down, then the whole system went down and nobody knew how to fix it or what they were doing. They were basically running around with their heads cut off. People stood outside waiting to buy/pick up tickets for such a long time that apparently some one went into the theatre to say that the movie was on hold until the lie outside went down. But this whole time NOBODY from the theatre came out to apologize, explain the problem, give an update on when it would be fixed, etc. Finally one of the Directors from the independent film that was playing came out to apologize. It was really just frustrating and unorganized. Clean theatre. Well kept. Basic concession type food and good prices. Awesome attendant at the concession stand. Doubt I'll be back on my own will. read more

It's a real shame that they cannot seem to have a musical show without severe and unrelenting feedback issues - there's really no excuse for this - love the venue, but the sound - OMG. read more

I have been to The Wildey to see a few movies and concerts. I have even performed in a few shows at the theatre as well. The atmosphere is definitely neat. Most of the staff is friendly and helpful. They book a lot of shows but wish they would book more for all genres and ages. I have also attended several events in their banquet rooms. These rooms are definitely cool and worth checking out for your next event. read more

If ther is a show you think you migh like and it's at the Wildey GO GO GO GO GO. You will love it...

This is a recently renovated historic theatre that specializes in live concerts although you can sometimes catch a film or play there as well. Very intimate, not a bad seat in the house and the drinks from the attached bar are allowed inside the theatre. The staff is very friendly and accommodating. Concessions are reasonably priced. Definitely worth the trip! read more