About The Ideal
Push open the doors on 16th Avenue and the room does the rest. A century of Cedar Rapids is in the brick, the ceiling overhead is the one they hung in 1914, and most nights there's a band tuning up and a cocktail with your name on it.
This is The Ideal.
The Ideal Theater & Bar is a live music venue, cocktail bar, and private event space in the NewBo district of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, at 213 16th Avenue SE. Built in 1914, restored, and reopened in 2022, it's an intimate room for about 125 that opens onto a courtyard and carries the night up to about 375.
In July of 1914, Frank and Anna Smid opened The Ideal Theater and lit up the block with silent films. Many of the films were dubbed in Czech for the Czech-speaking families in the neighborhood, which was eventually named New Bohemia — or NewBo for short — in honor of those families. The Ideal has been part of the Newbo story from the beginning.
The theater closed in 1920, and the building spent the next hundred years reinventing itself.
In 1922 the sloped floor was paved flat and cars were driven straight in through the front doors. After that came a box factory, a butchers' union hall, a roofing company, a chemical company, and, for a long stretch most locals still remember, Borgenson's Auto Paints.
Many locals remember The Ideal as Borgenson's Paint Shop.
Twice the river came for it, in 2008 and again in 2016, and twice the building was pulled off the city's demolition list by people who refused to let it go. The Jelinek family spent close to a thousand hours bringing the original 1914 ceiling back by hand.
Then, in October of 2022, the Thorp family finished a period build-out and did the one thing the building had been waiting a hundred years for. They opened the doors as a theater again.
So when you stand under that ceiling, for a show or a first dance or a birthday or a Tuesday cocktail, you're standing under the real, restored 1914 original.
The history here isn't hung on the walls. It is the walls.
The Ideal Today
These days The Ideal wears a few hats and wears them well.
Most nights it's a live music room and a cocktail bar, the kind of place where you check the calendar so you're not the last to know what's on.
Book it out and it becomes yours: an intimate wedding, a company's big night, a party that wanted a room with a pulse. The dual-entry driveway takes food trucks and buses, the bar is fully ours and fully licensed, and the courtyard opens the whole thing up to the summer sky.
Come see it. Catch a show, pull up to the bar, or book a tour and walk the room with us.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is The Ideal Theater & Bar located?
213 16th Avenue SE, in the NewBo (New Bohemia) district of Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401.
What is The Ideal Theater & Bar?
A 1914 theater, restored and reopened in 2022 as a live music venue, cocktail bar, and private event space for weddings, private parties, and corporate gatherings.
How many guests can The Ideal hold?
About 125 inside, and up to 250 in the courtyard for an overall capacity of ~375.
Can I host a wedding or private event at The Ideal?
Yes. The Ideal books weddings, private parties, and corporate events, with a fully licensed bar and flexible catering including food trucks and drop-off catering. Book a tour to walk the room.
Is there parking?
Street parking, plus a free public lot less than a block away (behind Tornado's Pub and Grub).
Is there live music at The Ideal?
Yes. Live music and public events run regularly. Check the calendar for what's coming up.