A Sneak Peek Look Inside the New Gym at a Historic Cedar Rapids Theater

After two years of hard work, an old, empty Downtown Cedar Rapids theater has been transformed into something totally new! House of Iron is now officially open at 316 3rd Ave SE.

The Building

If you've ever driven down 3rd Ave in Downtown Cedar Rapids, then you've no doubt seen the former Strand Theater. The once-popular, historic building has been sitting there empty for many years. According to the Cedar Rapids city website:

"The Strand Theater, designed in the style of an Italian palazzo, was built with 1,300 seats for stage, vaudeville, and motion picture productions. It opened on Oct. 18, 1915, for a theater troupe called the Strand Players, as well as a variety of traveling productions. It became the State Theater in 1929 and then the New World Playhouse in 1960.

The theatre officially went out of business in 1981 and was incorporated into Guaranty Bank complex in 1986.

*FUN FACT!*

Another Cedar Rapids business is home to a piece of history from the former theater. The Bar, which recently opened at 1100 1st Street SW, has the original sign from when the building was home to the New World Playhouse. It's prominently on display inside the restaurant. You can read more about it HERE.

House of Iron

Late in 2023, we told you that a new gym called House of Iron was moving into the former Strand Theater, and that they hoped to open in 2024. The project ended up taking a bit longer than expected, but we're happy to report that House of Iron officially opened its doors on Monday, July 21st!

Although there is still some work to be done on the lobby and front exterior of the building (KCRG reports that it will be completed in around nine weeks), the rest of the new gym is complete. It includes state-of-the-art gym equipment, two cold plunge tubs, a sauna, locker rooms with showers, a "posing room" for photos, and an area with snacks and beverages for sale. It's also important to note that the gym DOES have a parking lot, so you won't have to worry about finding parking downtown.

I got to take a tour of the newly-opened House of Iron yesterday (July 22nd) with owner Brent Stepanek, and it was definitely impressive! Here's a look inside:

There is an additional House of Iron location at 4501 Pro Farmer Rd in Cedar Rapids. Get details on gym memberships HERE.

Downtown Cedar Rapids Building Restorations

According to KCRG, the restoration of the Strand Theater building is just one part of "a $31 million historic preservation project to give several buildings new life." That project also includes the building at 329 2nd Ave SE, the former home of The Dragon Chinese restaurant, and, most recently, Hazzard County Saloon. It has been empty since Hazzard moved down the street back in 2018.

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