Last updated: September 6, 2022
Place
City National Bank Building and Creighton Orpheum Theater
David Calease, NPS
Quick Facts
Location:
405-409 South 16th Street
Significance:
Performing Arts
Designation:
National Register of Historic Places; Omaha Local Landmark
MANAGED BY:
Private Property Owner
The Creighton Orpheum Theater was constructed in 1892, with the City National Bank Building joining it in 1910. The Orpheum Theater is significant as an example of the grand, ornate theaters or “opera houses” prevalent in the early twentieth century. The City National Bank Building, designed by the highly respected Chicago architectural firm of Holabird and Roche, was considered Omaha’s first skyscraper. They are listed together in the National Register of Historic Places and as an Omaha Local Landmark.
The Creighton Orpheum Theater, originally a vaudeville house, opened in 1892 with its original entrance on 15th street. Almost two decades later the City National Bank Building was erected next to the theater. Designed by William Holabird and Martin Roche, the skyscraper’s magnitude and simple steel skeleton ushered Omaha into the twentieth century. Creighton Orpheum Theater expanded in 1927 and its entrance and main lobby were projected through the City National Bank Building on 16th Street. The two buildings, located between 16th and 15th streets on Harney Street, became synonymous to the residents of Omaha.
The new theater was the city’s grandest, with a seating capacity of 2,877 and a Wurlitzer style 235 special pipe organ It thrived as a vaudeville venue but transitioned to a movie house in the 1930s. After closing in 1970, the philanthropic organization Knights of Ak-Sar-Ben purchased the theater and conducted major renovations for its use as a performing arts center for symphony, opera, and ballet. The Creighton Orpheum Theater’s grand reopening took place on January 17, 1975. In 2002, the City of Omaha gave Omaha Performing Arts a lease to manage the theater and soon underwent another major renovation.
The Orpheum is an excellent example of a preserved theater in Nebraska and retains a high degree of historical integrity. It also brought a variety of different types of entertainment to the city, a task it continues to do today. The Orpheum Theater is still a popular venue in Omaha presenting live theatrical productions, operas, and ballets. The City National Bank Building is currently known as Orpheum Tower, reflecting its close link to the Creighton Orpheum Theater, and is a 132-unit apartment building.
The Creighton Orpheum Theater, originally a vaudeville house, opened in 1892 with its original entrance on 15th street. Almost two decades later the City National Bank Building was erected next to the theater. Designed by William Holabird and Martin Roche, the skyscraper’s magnitude and simple steel skeleton ushered Omaha into the twentieth century. Creighton Orpheum Theater expanded in 1927 and its entrance and main lobby were projected through the City National Bank Building on 16th Street. The two buildings, located between 16th and 15th streets on Harney Street, became synonymous to the residents of Omaha.
The new theater was the city’s grandest, with a seating capacity of 2,877 and a Wurlitzer style 235 special pipe organ It thrived as a vaudeville venue but transitioned to a movie house in the 1930s. After closing in 1970, the philanthropic organization Knights of Ak-Sar-Ben purchased the theater and conducted major renovations for its use as a performing arts center for symphony, opera, and ballet. The Creighton Orpheum Theater’s grand reopening took place on January 17, 1975. In 2002, the City of Omaha gave Omaha Performing Arts a lease to manage the theater and soon underwent another major renovation.
The Orpheum is an excellent example of a preserved theater in Nebraska and retains a high degree of historical integrity. It also brought a variety of different types of entertainment to the city, a task it continues to do today. The Orpheum Theater is still a popular venue in Omaha presenting live theatrical productions, operas, and ballets. The City National Bank Building is currently known as Orpheum Tower, reflecting its close link to the Creighton Orpheum Theater, and is a 132-unit apartment building.