Buskirk-Chumley Theater

Select services venue

The venue will provide the space, plus a few extras.

Full wedding (ceremony and reception) pricing

Starting at $1,500 for off-peak dates, and $2,500 for peak dates

Packages

Prices start at $1,500

Guest capacity

Up to 500 seated guests

About this venue

The historic Buskirk-Chumley Theater is a versatile location for any style of wedding. Looking for fun? One couple invited friends and family to perform a talent show on the stage during the reception. Seeking elegance? This 1922 theater already has style in spades. Ready to boogie? The stage or the orchestra pit can be used as a dance floor; adding our disco ball is a must. And don’t forget about the marquee, which will welcome guests to your big day, along with the flashing lights of the historic “Indiana” sign. We also offer one-hour weddings for couples looking for something more affordable and less stressful!

Best of Zola 2024
Best of Zola 2023

Seated guest capacity

  • 8-500

Venue type

  • Historic Estates, Mansions
  • Museums, Galleries
  • Urban Locations

Venue setting

  • Indoor
114 E Kirkwood Ave, Bloomington, IN 47408

Our event spaces

Lobby & Mezzanine

Cocktails and buffets

Our lobby and mezzanine areas feature art deco décor and are the ideal location for cocktail hour and a buffet setup. Our concessions area is outfitted to serve everything from beer, wine, and cocktails to movie favorites such as popcorn and gummy bears.

Guest capacity

Up to 20 Seated

Up to 50 Standing

Ideal for

Farewell brunch, Couples luncheon, Cocktail hour

Guests often feel this space is

“Warm and cozy”

Included in this room:

Rental includes usage of our lobby space, auditorium and stage, dressing rooms, mezzanine area, and the History Exhibit. It also includes all of the lighting and sound equipment in the building. Rental also includes: - use of poster display cases at front of theater - personalized marquee message - 6ft rectangular tables and maroon linens - photo booth / draped background for photos - a House Manager to help your day run smoothly

Room cost

Included in total venue pricing

Dressing Rooms

Feel like a star in our theater dressing rooms

We have three separate dressing rooms, two located downstairs and the third located just off stage. The basement rooms are large enough to hold your bridal party and provide the perfect lighting in which to style your hair get your makeup done. The other dressing room is single use, and is the perfect place to step into for quick touch ups throughout the night!

Guest capacity

Up to 10 Seated

Up to 20 Standing

Guests often feel this space is

“Luxurious and chic”

Included in this room:

Rental includes usage of our lobby space, auditorium and stage, dressing rooms, mezzanine area, and the History Exhibit. It also includes all of the lighting and sound equipment in the building. Rental also includes: - use of poster display cases at front of theater - personalized marquee message - 6ft rectangular tables and maroon linens - photo booth / draped background for photos - a House Manager to help your day run smoothly

Room cost

Included in total venue pricing

Auditorium

An art deco experience

The historic Buskirk-Chumley Theater is a versatile location for any style of wedding. The stage or orchestra pit can be used as a dance floor; adding our disco ball is a must. And don't forget about the marquee, which will welcome guests to your big day!

Guest capacity

Up to 626 Seated

Up to 626 Standing

Ideal for

Wedding ceremony, Wedding reception, Rehearsal dinner, Wedding shower, Cocktail hour, Engagement party, Elopement

Guests often feel this space is

“Surprised and delighted”

Included in this room:

Rental includes usage of our lobby space, auditorium and stage, dressing rooms, mezzanine area, and the History Exhibit. It also includes all of the lighting and sound equipment in the building. Rental also includes: - use of poster display cases at front of theater - personalized marquee message - 6ft rectangular tables and maroon linens - photo booth / draped background for photos - a House Manager to help your day run smoothly

Room cost

Included in total venue pricing

Lobby & Mezzanine

Cocktails and buffets

Our lobby and mezzanine areas feature art deco décor and are the ideal location for cocktail hour and a buffet setup. Our concessions area is outfitted to serve everything from beer, wine, and cocktails to movie favorites such as popcorn and gummy bears.

Guest capacity

Up to 20 Seated

Up to 50 Standing

Ideal for

Farewell brunch, Couples luncheon, Cocktail hour

Guests often feel this space is

“Warm and cozy”

Included in this room:

Rental includes usage of our lobby space, auditorium and stage, dressing rooms, mezzanine area, and the History Exhibit. It also includes all of the lighting and sound equipment in the building. Rental also includes: - use of poster display cases at front of theater - personalized marquee message - 6ft rectangular tables and maroon linens - photo booth / draped background for photos - a House Manager to help your day run smoothly

Room cost

Included in total venue pricing

Dressing Rooms

Feel like a star in our theater dressing rooms

We have three separate dressing rooms, two located downstairs and the third located just off stage. The basement rooms are large enough to hold your bridal party and provide the perfect lighting in which to style your hair get your makeup done. The other dressing room is single use, and is the perfect place to step into for quick touch ups throughout the night!

Guest capacity

Up to 10 Seated

Up to 20 Standing

Guests often feel this space is

“Luxurious and chic”

Included in this room:

Rental includes usage of our lobby space, auditorium and stage, dressing rooms, mezzanine area, and the History Exhibit. It also includes all of the lighting and sound equipment in the building. Rental also includes: - use of poster display cases at front of theater - personalized marquee message - 6ft rectangular tables and maroon linens - photo booth / draped background for photos - a House Manager to help your day run smoothly

Room cost

Included in total venue pricing

Auditorium

An art deco experience

The historic Buskirk-Chumley Theater is a versatile location for any style of wedding. The stage or orchestra pit can be used as a dance floor; adding our disco ball is a must. And don't forget about the marquee, which will welcome guests to your big day!

Guest capacity

Up to 626 Seated

Up to 626 Standing

Ideal for

Wedding ceremony, Wedding reception, Rehearsal dinner, Wedding shower, Cocktail hour, Engagement party, Elopement

Guests often feel this space is

“Surprised and delighted”

Included in this room:

Rental includes usage of our lobby space, auditorium and stage, dressing rooms, mezzanine area, and the History Exhibit. It also includes all of the lighting and sound equipment in the building. Rental also includes: - use of poster display cases at front of theater - personalized marquee message - 6ft rectangular tables and maroon linens - photo booth / draped background for photos - a House Manager to help your day run smoothly

Room cost

Included in total venue pricing

Buskirk-Chumley Theater packages

Standard Wedding Package

8-500 guests

Peak pricing $2,500-3,500

Off-peak pricing $1,500-2,500

Description

Check out our current rates and availability here: https://buskirkchumley.org/rentals/ or email events@buskirkchumley.org to schedule a tour.

Available services that can be provided by Buskirk-Chumley Theater

Services & amenities

  • Bar services
  • Clean up
  • Dance floor
  • Dressing room / Bridal Suite
  • Event coordinator
  • Event rentals
  • Event staff
  • Lighting/Sound
  • Pet friendly
  • Set up
  • Wheelchair accessible
  • Wifi

Transportation & access

  • Limo
  • Self parking - paid
  • Wheelchair accessible

Rentals

  • Lighting
  • Linens
  • Sound / AV
  • Standard Chairs

Buskirk-Chumley Theater menu options

$2-8 per guest

Concessions Menu

Drinks: Upland Beer (Champagne Velvet & Dragonfly IPA) - $7 | Butler Wine (Red & White dry) - $7 | Cardinal Spirits Cocktails (made in house) - $8 | Sodas + Juice (Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite, Cranberry, Lemonade, Apple) - $3 | Water (Dasani, Plain + Berry La Croix) - $3 | Albanese Gummi Bears - $3 | Fresh Popcorn - $3 | Popkorn Twist (Karamel + Candied) - $3 | Rotating Candy (Chocolate + Sour) - $2

  • Want something different on the menu? Let us know what sort of drink you desire, and we will do our best to make it available. Please note that all alcohol must be purchased and distributed by the theater and all catering must be provided by a licensed caterer of your choice.
View menu

Reviews

Write a review
Rating: 5.0

5.0 out of 5

10 reviews

  • AH

    Alex H.

    Rating: 5
    •Zola
    •Aug 19, 2026

    Phenomenal Space & Wonderful Staff

    From the first moment I walked through the doors to check out the venue I knew my wife would be in love with it. It was an hour from home, which I was trying not to go that far, but I fell in love with it immediately as well. Jordan & Clayton were wonders to work with in setting up the wedding, communication, help and overall absolute rock stars. Everyone else involved was extremely attentive, sweet and caring as well, but I wanted to shout out these two in particular. Booking and using the space was beyond easy and very reasonably priced, and fit our 80 person wedding perfectly. I can easily see this being even better for larger weddings as well, maybe outside of the seating situation unless you are fine with eating in theater seats. My only note is if you have a group around our size, have everyone sit together in the middle section as with our friends and family scattered around the seats, it felt a little empty during the ceremony. Apologies for no good pictures to add, we had too much fun we didn't take a whole bunch, but trust us it's beautiful and the lighting options are fantastic for changing the whole vibe. We would recommend this space and its people time and time again as they were some of the easiest and most helpful parts of our wedding preparations. If anything, at least give them a tour when considering venues. You will not be disappointed and you may fall in love immediately like we did.

  • B

    Brandi

    Rating: 5
    •Zola
    •Aug 4, 2025

    Incredible Venue

    I can’t overstate how wonderful they were to work with. Jordan was so kind and knowledgeable and helpful in the planning process. Day-of, everybody was so nice and really knew what they were doing! And everything ran smoothly because of it! On top of that, the space was absolutely magical. We knew as soon as we walked in that this was our venue. Ceremony then dinner on the stage, first dance in the art deco entryway, bouquet toss off the balcony, concert film screening and dessert. It felt so special and both of our families are still raving about it.

  • AK

    Abbey K.

    Rating: 5
    •Zola
    •Jun 30, 2025

    A Beautiful, Unique Venue in Bloomington!

    The team at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater was exceptional in helping us plan our wedding. Their communication was easy and quick, and they were always friendly and responsive. The venue itself is absolutely beautiful - a historic, unique space that received so many compliments from our guests. We also loved that the venue is right downtown, making it easy for our guests to get to their accommodations (and late night bar hopping) without having to drive. Jordan, Clayton, and Maggie went above and beyond to help us bring our vision to life, guiding us through the planning process from start to finish. We couldn't have asked for a better wedding day, thanks to the incredible service and support of the Buskirk-Chumley team.

  • HB

    Haley B.

    Rating: 5
    •Zola
    •Sep 11, 2024

    So helpful!

    The team at Buskirk-Chumley Theater provided excellent communication and consistency throughout the entire wedding planning process. Their friendly and professional staff were a huge help, walking me through every detail needed for the space. The quality of their work and the value they provided was top-notch - they even included a tech specialist who assisted with the lighting and music setup. The staff arrived early and had the tables beautifully arranged, making the day so easy and stress-free. I'm grateful for their large, high-quality contribution to making our special day a success!

  • SP

    Sarah P.

    Rating: 5
    •Zola
    •Nov 10, 2023

    One hour wedding!

    Jordan, the theatre manager, was amazing to work with as we planned our event. We had to make some changes and she was very helpful and guided us through the process. We decided to go the more untraditional route and have a “1-hour wedding”. We were married in the gorgeous entrance lobby of the theater with 8 of our closest family and friends. Additionally, we arrived and were surprised to have our names and wedding announcement on the marquis. It was such a cool touch and great for photos. We are so thankful we had such a small, intimate event. It was perfect!

Preferred vendors of Buskirk-Chumley Theater

Photographer
Icarus Photography
Bloomington, IN
Caterer
One World Catering
Rating: 5.0 (2 reviews)
Bloomington, IN
Starts at $17
Event extras
The Graduate Providence
Providence, RI
Event extras
Hyatt Place
Boulder, CO
Some couples just have their ceremony in the theater and move to another location for their reception. Others just have their reception here. We can accommodate both, although it should be noted that the theater is not suited for large seated meals, as open space for tables with seating is limited to the stage and orchestra pit.
Your rental fee includes a house manager who helps your day run smoothly. We have a limited number of six-foot tables and tablecloths available for your use. And, of course, the theater comes with seating for more than 500 (300 seats on the orchestra level). You are also welcome to use our high-quality lighting and sounds systems.
Why, yes, there is a disco ball. That’s included in the rental rate as well.
We can provide locally-sourced concessions and bar service and offer open or cash (card only please) bar options. Our staff must serve any alcohol provided to your guests. Otherwise, the theater does not handle catering, although we recommend you connecting us with your chosen caterer so we can help them understand the layout of the space and help in timeline coordination efforts.
Downtown Bloomington is a great wedding location, with museums, hotels, shopping, and access to a walking trail within a few blocks of the theater. Parking is plentiful, and we will happily direct your guests to the free parking options available downtown.
September - May
June - August
All alcoholic beverages must be distributed by licensed servers, which the BCT will provide. Due to liquor laws the theater must provide all alcohol for your event as well.
We have parking in the lot behind the theater that we can reserve for the wedding party and vendors. All wedding guests should be directed to utilize City of Bloomington parking - either metered on street or garage.
Yes, all our facilities are wheelchair accessible. We also have ramps at the main and side entrances, hearing-impaired fire alarm lights, and trained staff.
Rental of our entire theater, aside from our office spaces. Set up, clean up, tables, chairs, and linens are also included.
8am-midnight
Booking fees for our facilities, and all payments made including deposits, are non-refundable. If you cancel your event within 60 days of your booked date, we’ll bill you the full amount of estimated charges.
The nearest commercial airport is located one hour away in Indianapolis.

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