Crump Theater project receives $6 million in state grants

The historic Crump Theatre in downtown Columbus will be receiving more than $6 million in state funds to help refurbish, upgrade and relaunch the building as the Crump Center for the Performing Arts, the state announced yesterday.

State officials announced that the award will come from the next round of funding through the READI 2.0 Arts and Culture Initiative and it will be the largest grant made through the initiative, with the state calling it a project of statewide importance.

The Crump is the oldest existing theater in the state and bringing the site up to modern standards and full use was identified as a key part of the Columbus Downtown 2030 plan to activate downtown.

For years, the aging theater was closed because it didn’t meet current fire, building and safety standards. It was brought back to life largely through volunteer efforts. Those culminated in 2023 when the building was found to be structurally sound and earned a renewed entertainment permit. The theater celebrated its 135th anniversary in 2024 and last year Heritage Fund – The Community Foundation of Bartholomew County announced Project Encore, an effort to bring the Crump Theatre back to life as a centerpiece of downtown entertainment.

The Crump Theater for the Performing Arts is designed as a flexible regional entertainment venue capable of hosting more than 800 guests for traditional seated performances and approximately 950 guests for special.

Project Encore has already secured nearly $5 million in funding including $1 million from Heritage Fund.

The goal is to complete the work by the fall of 2028.