In 1981, Burlington's community theatre group, Lyric Theatre, rediscovered the capacity of live 
performance. The Lyric group went to the forefront of a gathering of attracted citizens who raised money to purchase and restore the Flynn. The Flynn then reopened in 1981 as The Flynn Theatre for the Performing Arts, and grew to furnish a managed home for the arts, and making the theatre accessible to artists for special projects. Through the 1980s and 1990s, the Flynn has developed programs to aide teachers as well as students, and introduced the "On-Stage" series of performances that focus on Vermont state and regional artists.
In the late 1990s and early 2000 the Flynn underwent successful capital campaigns that stabilized the theatre, and helped finance the restoration and expansion which was completed in 2000. Restored to its original art-deco interior, the Flynn Center now houses MainStage (the original Flynn Theatre), FlynnSpace (a smaller, intimate performing arts theatre), educational and dance studios for year-round classes, a gallery visual arts gallery, and administrative offices.
Destined to be Burlington's centerpiece of entertainment, the Flynn Theatre was built over seventy years ago by businessman John J. Flynn. With a stage made for quick and easy set changes, sloped floor seating, excellent acoustics, and a downtown location, the Flynn was designed for the live performances of Vaudeville. With the rise of the motion picture industry, the Flynn shifted and operated successfully as a movie theatre for almost fifty years until its own decline as multiplex movie theatres began to rise and take hold in the 1970's.
