This is a list of theaters in Omaha, Nebraska. The entries include theaters used to present films and professional live performances, including vaudeville acts, plays and musical performances.
In 1860, the dining room of the Herndon House hosted for the first dramatic performance in Omaha, using a borrowed bolt of muslin for a curtain.[1] Julia Dean Hayne, a leading actress of the time, played the title role. These were the humble beginnings of Omaha's performing arts scene. Today the city is home to the Omaha Community Playhouse, a nationally recognized community theater; the Holland Performing Arts Center; the beloved Orpheum Theater; and a host of other smaller performing arts venues.
With more than 100 theaters since it was incorporated, Omaha's movie scene has never been static. Many of the early movie film theaters in Omaha were neighborhood theaters, small store-front establishments seating about 300 people on plain plywood seats.[2] Most of the patrons of these early theaters walked to them or took street cars, so parking was not an issue. Larger theaters were congregated in Downtown Omaha, mainly along Douglas Street between Fourteenth and Sixteenth Streets, on what was called Theater Row. As personal automobile ownership increased, suburban theaters were built, and several drive-in theaters opened on what was then the outskirts of the city. Today, theater complexes with luxury seating, in-auditorium dining and bar service are prevalent. Omaha's last drive-in theater closed in 1987.
| Current theaters in Omaha | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Built | Seating | Location | Notes | |
| Aksarben Cinema[3] | December 10, 2010 | 2110 South 67th Street | |||
| Alamo Drafthouse Midtown[4] | November 5, 2009 | 3201 Farnam Street | Opened as Marcus Midtown Cinema in 2009. Turned into Alamo Drafthouse Midtown in 2018.[5] | ||
| AMC Oakview Plaza 24[6] | 1997 | 3555 South 140th Plaza | With 24 screens, this is the largest theater complex in Omaha. | ||
| AMC Westroads 14[7] | November 14, 2008 | 10000 California Street | The theater opened as Rave Cinemas Westroads in 2008 as Omaha's first all-digital cinema. AMC Theatres purchased the theater in 2013.[8] | ||
| Blue Barn Theatre[9] | 1980s | 614 South 11th Street | This theater is in the planning stages of building a new theater space. | ||
| CHI Health Center Omaha[10] | 2003 | 18,320 | 455 North 10th Street | Opened in 2003 as Qwest Center Omaha. The original seating was 17,000. An addition in 2006 increased the facility to its current capacity. In 2011 it was renamed CenturyLink Center Omaha. CHI Health bought the naming rights in 2018. | |
| Creighton Orpheum Theater[11] | 1927 | 2,600 | 409 South 16th Street | The original Creighton Theater was located at 408 South 15th Street, and seated 2200. It was demolished and the current theater was built on the site, with the entrance reoriented towards 16th Street. The second theater closed as a movie theater in 1971. After a major renovation, it was opened as a performing arts center in 1974. The building has continued to receive periodic renovations over the years and remains one of the top performance stages in Omaha. | |
| Dundee Theatre[12] | 1925[13] | 4952 Dodge Street | Originally built for vaudeville and stage performances, it was converted to a movie theater in the 1930s. The theater closed in 2013, then was taken over by Film Streams and reopened in 2017 after extensive remodeling.[14] | ||
| Great Escape Theatres[15] | October 2006 | 7440 Crown Point Avenue | The theater was renamed Omaha Stadium 16 in 2013. | ||
| Holland Performing Arts Center[16] | 2005 | 2,000 | 1200 Douglas Street | ||
| Joslyn Art Museum Concert Hall[17] | 1931 | 1,001 | The theater is inside the museum off the Storz Fountain Court. The theater was later named the Witherspoon Concert Hall, after donor D. J. (Jim) Witherspoon. | ||
| Lozier IMAX at Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo[18] | March 1997 | 358 | 3701 South 10th Street | The theater premiered the IMAX film Lewis and Clark: Great Journey West in April 2002. | |
| Marcus Majestic Cinema | 1996 | 14304 West Maple Road[19] | This was opened in 1996 by the Douglas Theatre Company as a 20-screen complex called the 20 Grand. In 2013 it was remodeled, reduced to 19 screens, and renamed the Marcus Majestic Cinema. | ||
| Omaha Community Playhouse | 1924[20] | 758 on two stages | 6915 Cass Street | This theater was previously located at 4004 Davenport Street. The company moved to its current location in 1959. | |
| Ralston Arena | 2012 | 3,500 | 7300 Q Street, Ralston | ||
| Rose Blumkin Performing Arts Center[21] | 1926 | 2,776 (original seating) | 2001 Farnam Street | This opened in 1926 as the Riviera Theater. In 1929, it was sold to the Paramount Company and renamed the Paramount Theater. It closed in 1957, changing hands several times before it reopened as the Astro Theater, eventually closing as a movie theater in June 1980. It was purchased by Rose Blumkin of Nebraska Furniture Mart fame. After sitting vacant for a number of years, it was restored and reopened as the Rose Blumkin Performing Arts Center. | |
| Shelterbelt Theatre[22] | October 1993 | 3225 California Street | |||
| Sokol Auditorium | 1926 | 1,500 | 2234 South 13th Street | ||
| The Ruth Sokolof Theater[23] | July 27, 2007 | 302 | 1340 Webster Street | A two screen theater, with one theater accommodating 96 patrons and the second accommodating 206 patrons. The theater primarily shows independent, documentary, foreign and classic films. The nonprofit arts organization, Film Streams, manages the theater. | |
| Village Pointe Cinema[24] | 2004 | 304 North 174th Street | |||
| Westwood Cinema 8[25] | 1989 | 1,500 | 2809 South 125th Avenue | Opened as Super Saver Cinema 8. | |
| Theaters of the past in Omaha | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name Ames Theater | Built | Seating | Location | Notes | |
| Academy of Music[26] | 1866 | South Side of Douglas, between Thirteenth and Fourteenth Streets | Referred to as Omaha's first playhouse. | ||
| Admiral Theater | 1942[27] | 950 | 150 South 40th Street | Originally built as a single-screen theater, a second screen was added later. It was known locally for its midnight showings of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. The building has been demolished and the site redeveloped. | |
| Aksarben Coliseum[28] | 1928 | 7,200 | 64th and Center Streets | The building was the site of numerous concerts and performance events through the Knights of Aksarben organization. The coliseum was torn down in 2005 and the site redeveloped. | |
| Aksarben Music Hall[29] | 1309 Douglas | ||||
| Air Dome Theater (Open Tent Show) | 18th and Douglas Streets, 40th and Hamilton Streets | An open-air theater that operated during the summer months. The primary locations were downtown Omaha and later at 40th and Hamilton Streets. | |||
| Alhambra Theatre[30] | Abt. 1911[31] | 1814 North 24th Street | After its closure it became a roller rink, a grocery store and a miniature golf course before burning to the ground in 1936. | ||
| Alamo Theater | 300 | 303 North 24th Street | |||
| American Music Hall[32] | 1910 | 1722 Douglas Street | It was later called the New Morris Theater and the Strand Theater. The building was destroyed by fire in the 1920s. The first color movie shown in Omaha, The Black Pirate starring Douglas Fairbanks, ran at the Strand.[33] | ||
| Apollo Theatre | 475 | 2824 Leavenworth Street | |||
| The Auditorium | 5000 | Southeast corner of 15th Street | Omaha's original auditorium, not to be confused with the Omaha Civic Auditorium | ||
| Avenue Theatre | Abt. 1926[34] | 800 | 2819 Leavenworth Avenue | The theater was closed in 1959. It has since been demolished. | |
| Beacon Theater | 1927 | 477 | 2910 Ames Avenue | The theatre closed in 1967 and the building demolished.[35] | |
| Benalto Theater | 1923 | 400 | 6054 Military Avenue | Due to readdressing, the current address is 6054 Maple Street. Originally built as a vaudeville theater, it was called the Benalto Theater from 1923 to 1926. It was later renamed the Benson Theater for the neighborhood it is located within. The theater is currently closed and is in need of a total renovation. A nonprofit organization has been formed to spearhead the fundraising effort.[36] | |
| Besse Theater | 24th and N Streets | ||||
| Bijou Theatre | 19th and Harney Streets | ||||
| Boulevard Theater | 1916[37] | 3305 Leavenworth Street | |||
| Boyd's Opera House[38] | 1881 | 1422 Farnam Street | The first Boyd Theater in Omaha, built by businessman and politician James F. Boyd. It was later renamed as the Farnam Street Theatre. Although labeled as fireproof it was destroyed by fire on October 2, 1893. | ||
| Boyd's Theater and Opera House | 1891 | 1900 | 1621 Harney Street | The building was demolished in 1920 and the property redeveloped for the then owner's department store business.[39] | |
| Brandeis Theatre | March 3, 1910[40] | 1900 | 212 South 17th Street | In 1925, theater-goers wept as Helen Keller and her teacher described their struggle to overcome Keller's blindness, deafness and muteness.[41] The theater had a ceiling mural in the foyer, "The Triumphal Entry of Art" by E. T. Behr, which cost $2,500. The Brandeis Theater was razed in 1959 to make way for a parking garage. | |
| Burt Theater | August 1, 1915[42] | 24th and Sprague Streets | |||
| Burwood Theater | 1905 | 1168 | 1516 Harney Street | This became the Gayety Theatre in 1909.[43] It had a stock company of players, including Fred Astaire. It later became a burlesque theater. In 1931 the building was remodeled to house retail stores and offices.[44] The building was torn down in 1961.[45] | |
| Cameraphone Theatre | 1908[46] | 450 | 1403 Douglas Street | A uniquely named theater, its name means "talking picture". | |
| Cass Theater[47] | Mid 1940s | 250 | 500 North 16th Street | The theater closed in the mid-1950s and has since been demolished. | |
| Center Theater | March 15, 1951 | 732[48] | 3504 Center Street | When the theater opened, it offered such innovations as a smoking room, a crying room for children and parents, and a wheel chair area.[49] It was also the first theater in Omaha to have a reverse pitch floor, whereby the floor slopes to the stage to a low-point then rises toward the stage. From 1974 to 1993 the building was home to the Emmy Gifford Children's Theater. The building was expanded and updated during their residency. In 1993 the children's theater company moved to the former Riviera Theater. The building currently houses an estate and consignment sales company. | |
| Chief Theater | 1947 | 4612 South 24th Street | The theatre's marquee was the profile of an American Indian Chief wearing a full headdress.[50] | ||
| Cinema Center[51] | December 22, 1967 | 3,280 | 2828 South 82nd Avenue | The first movie shown was The Bible.[52] Expanded to two screens in 1969; four in 1976; six in 1981; eight in 1984. Renovated for stadium seating in 1997. Sold to commercial developers in September 2008. Closed on January 15, 2009. The last movie shown was Marley & Me. The building was converted into an indoor shooting range in 2015.[53] | |
| Clifton Theater | 2201 Military Avenue | ||||
| Circle Theater | April 3, 1926[54] | 524 North 33rd Street | The theater closed in the 1950s. The building was later demolished and a parking lot occupies the site today. | ||
| Clunes Theatre | 2553 Farnam Street | ||||
| Columbia Theatre | 450 | 1710 South 10th Street | |||
| Comfort Theatre | 330 | 2319 Vinton Street | Later called the Garden Theatre | ||
| Corby Theater | 1926[55] | 600 | 2805 North 16th Street | The theater closed in the mid-1950s. The building is currently used as a commercial location. | |
| Crossroads Twin Cinema[56] | July 20, 1979 | 72nd and Dodge Streets | This theater was inside the Crossroads Mall. It closed in the 1980s and the area repurposed by the mall. | ||
| Diamond Moving Picture Theatre | 390 | 2410 Lake Street | The building was demolished in the Easter Sunday tornado of 1913. The Lake Theater later occupied this location. | ||
| Eagle Theatre | December 25, 1915[57] | 400 | 3705 Leavenworth Street[58] | For fire safety, the screen was in the front of the theater and the projection equipment was in the rear. | |
| Elite Theatre #1 | 400 | 1316 Douglas Street | |||
| Elite Theatre #2 | 450 | 1318 Farnam Street | |||
| Empress Theatre | 1800 | 1514 Douglas Street | The theater featured such innovations as an elevator to its two balconies and a two-story basement café/restaurant that later became a popular dance spot, known as the Rustic Gardens.[59] The theater was torn down in 1929 to make way for an office building.[60] | ||
| The Moving Picture Farnam Theatre | 1415 Farnam Street | ||||
| Favorite Theatre | 600 | 1716 Vinton Street | The Favorite was a silent movie theater built by Fritz Mueller. With the advent of talking movies, Mueller built the Mueller Theatre just a few doors to the east of the Favorite. The Favorite eventually closed and was used for various commercial activities over the years. Today it is the main dining area of a restaurant, complete with exposed brick walls and iron columns. The tiled entry vestibule with the name "Favorite" spelled out in cobalt blue tile is still visible. | ||
| Fox In Westroads[61] | 10245 West Dodge Road | This theater started as a large single screen and was twinned in 1976. It later merged with the Six West Theaters and was renamed Westroads 8. The theater has been demolished and replaced with retail space. | |||
| Fern Theater[62] | 716 North 24th Street | This was closed on the day of the Easter Sunday tornado, 1913. | |||
| Firehouse Dinner Theater[63] | 1972 | 300 | 11th and Jackson Street | The theater opened in a vacated city firehouse in the Old Market. | |
| Franklin Theatre | 300 | 1624 North 24th Street | |||
| Frolic Theater | 360 | 4116 North 24th Street[64] | |||
| Gem Theatre | 550 | 1258 South 13th Street | |||
| Gemini Twin Theater[65] | 2958 South 84th Street | The theater operated as a 99-cent theater. It closed in January 1991. | |||
| Grand Theater | 2929 North 16th Street[66] | ||||
| Grand Ole Players[67] | 1984 | 2339 N 90th Street | Closed in 2010 | ||
| Grand Opera House[68] | 1885 | 2,486[69] | 15th and Davenport Streets | The seating capacity in the adjoining Exposition Hall was 1900. The building burned to the ground on December 4, 1894. | |
| Hanscom Theatre | 300 | 2368 South 29th Street | |||
| Hipp Theatre | 700 | 1508 Harney Street | |||
| Hippodrome Theatre | 400 | 2514 Cuming Street | Later called the Capitol Theater | ||
| Hippodrome Theatre | 1800 | 1724 Douglas Street | |||
| John Beasley Theater[70] | 3010 R Street | ||||
| Ideal Theatre | 350 | 2210 South 16th Street | |||
| Indian Hills Theater | December 1962[71] | 8601 West Dodge Street | At its opening in December 1962, its 105-foot screen, the largest in the United States, was designed specifically designed for Cinerama. The theater was expanded from a single screen, to two and finally to four screens. The theater was closed in October 2000. After a large public effort to save it failed, the building was demolished in 2001. | ||
| "It" Theatre | 300 | 2910 Sherman Avenue | |||
| Ivy Theatre | 200 | 2128 Sherman Avenue | |||
| Joyo Theater[72] | Florence, Nebraska | ||||
| Lothrop Theater | 1935 | 480[73] | 3212 North 24th Street | The theater closed in 1955. It was used by the Corinth Baptist Church for a time.[74] The building collapsed in 1961 and was later demolished. | |
| Loyal Theatre | 300 | 2410 Caldwell Street | |||
| Lyric Theatre | 400 | 1617 Vinton Street | |||
| The Magic Theater[75] | 4922 South 24th Street | The theater's original name, "The Magic Theater", was a nod to South Omaha's nickname, "The Magic City", for the area's seemingly overnight growth. The theater's name was later changed to the Tivoli Theater. The Tivoli theater ultimately closed in the 1950s.[76] | |||
| Majestic Theater[77] | 1520 Dodge Street | ||||
| Maplewood Twin Cinema[78] | November 9, 1972 | 3433 North 90th Street | Opened as a Jerry Lewis Cinema. Closed in 1994. The building has been demolished and the site redeveloped. | ||
| Maryland Theatre | 492[79] | 1425 South 13th Street | The theater was renamed the Berkley Theater in the 1940s. It closed in the mid-1950s and currently is used as a commercial location. | ||
| Midtown Upstairs Dinner Theater[80] | 221 South 19th Street | Later simply called the Upstairs Dinner Theater | |||
| Military Theatre | 1928[81] | 660 | 2216 Military Avenue | The theater closed in 1975.[82] It is now the home of Grace Apostolic Church. | |
| Millard Cinema 4 | March 25, 1983[83] | 1,250 | Q Street at Highway 50 | This theater closed in 1998. | |
| Minne Lusa Theater | Abt. 1926[84] | 400 | 6720 North 30th Street | The building was designed by George Fisher of the firm of Mendelssohn, Fisher and Lawrie. The theater closed in the mid-1950s. The building is used today as a social services center. | |
| Monroe Theater[85] | 2555 Farnam Street | ||||
| Moon Theater | 1408 Douglas Street | This was later called the Town Theater and the Cooper Theater or Cooper 70. It briefly housed the Cinerama technology before it was moved to the Indian Hills Theater. It was razed in 1976. | |||
| Movies 8 Stockyards[86] | June 1990 | 3205 L Street | The theater was closed on February 26, 2010. The plans at the time were to raze it to build a truck parking lot. | ||
| Mueller Theater | 1706 Vinton Street | The name of the theater was originally the Mueller Theatre. After its remodeling in 1938, its name was changed to the Muller Theatre. The building was totally destroyed by a series of three fires on June 1, July 14 and August 2 in 1970.[87] At the time of the fire, the building was being used as a bingo parlor. | |||
| Muse Theater | 1916[88] | 850 | 2405 Farnam Street | Originally built as a vaudeville theater, it became an adult theater in the 1970s. The theater closed in the 1980s after several police raids to seize pornographic material. It has been demolished. | |
| The Music Box | October 1, 1936[89] | 900 | 118 N. 19th Street | The building also included a bowling alley. It was closed in 1980, and the building was demolished to become a parking lot.[90] | |
| The New Star Theater | 16th and Locust Streets | ||||
| North Star Theatre | 1920 | 800[91] | 2413 Ames Avenue | Later renamed the Ames Theater | |
| Northampton 4 Theaters | 1973 | 900[92] | 56th and Redick Streets | The theater was later renamed the Country Club 4 Theaters. It closed in April 1982, and some of the equipment was moved to the Millard 4 Cinema.[93] | |
| Omaha Civic Auditorium[94] | 1954 | 10,960 | 1804 Capitol Avenue | This facility closed in 2014. It was torn down in 2016.[95] The land is currently vacant. | |
| Omaha Civic Auditorium Music Hall | 1954 | 2,315 | 1804 Capitol Avenue | Attached to the Omaha Civic Auditorium, it was renovated in 1997, then suffered the same fate as the auditorium: closed in 2014, torn down in 2016. | |
| Orchard 4 Cinema[96] | July 23, 1982 | 876 | 13052 Arbor Street | It closed in 2000 and the building was demolished in 2013.[97] | |
| Palace Theater | 250 | 2305 Davenport Street | |||
| Palm Theatre | 400 | 1320 Douglas Street | Later called the Magic Theatre | ||
| Park Theatre | 500 | 516 North 16th Street | |||
| Park 4 Theater | 8558 Park Drive, Ralston | Closed in 1998 | |||
| Parlor Theatre | 450 | 1408 Douglas Street | Purportedly the first theater built in Omaha for moving pictures. The Parlor Theatre was demolished to build the Moon Theatre. | ||
| Pastime Theater | 327 | 23rd and Leavenworth Streets | |||
| Princess Theatre | 500 | 1319 Farnam Street | |||
| Q Cinema 4 | 1972 | 5505 South 120th Street | This was later named the Q Cinema 6 in 1982 and finally the Q Cinema 9 in 1989. The theater closed in 2008 and the building was eventually demolished. | ||
| Queen Theater[98] | Seventh and Pierce Streets | ||||
| Redick Opera House | 1870 | Northwest corner of 16th and Farnam Streets | It was demolished in 1889, and commercial buildings built on the site. | ||
| Rex Theatre[99] | 1316 Douglas Street | ||||
| Rialto Theater[100] | 1918 | 2,500 | 1424 Douglas Street | The theater closed on August 2, 1929, and was used for various commercial activities until it was razed in February 1986. Today it is the site of the Union Pacific Headquarters. | |
| Ritz Theater | Mid 1930s | 548[101] | 2041 North 24th Street | This theater closed in the mid-1950s and has since been demolished. | |
| Rohlff Theater | 2559 Leavenworth Street | ||||
| Roseland Theatre | 1922[102] | 4932 South 24th Street | The theater, designed by James T. Allen, closed in 1950 and the building converted to commercial property and eventually rental apartments. | ||
| Rudyard Norton Theater | 5021 Underwood Avenue | The original location for this theater was the Windsor Hotel, 520 South 10th Street.[103] It later moved to 5021 Underwood Avenue in Dundee. | |||
| Six West Theaters[104] | January 22, 1969 | 1,527 | 9720 West Dodge Road | This theater was the first six screen theater opened in the United States. It later merged with the Fox In Westroads Theater and was renamed the Westroads 8. Located in the Westroads Mall, the theater closed in 1999 and was converted to retail space. | |
| Star Theatre | 2906 Sherman Avenue | ||||
| Suburban Theatre | 350 | 4414 North 24th Street | |||
| Sun Theater | Thanksgiving Day, November 30, 1916[105] | 800 | 1410 Farnam Street | The theater was later called the State Theater. The lights in the red and ivory lobby were shaped like sunbursts. The theater closed in 1969 and the building was demolished in 1976. | |
| Swedish Auditorium | 1200 | 1609-1611 Chicago Street | |||
| Trocadero Theater | 1895 | 1800 | 319 South 14th Street | The Trocadero Theater was renamed the Krug Theatre in 1903. | |
| Uptown Theatre | Abt. 1926 | 600 | 2816 Leavenworth Street | This was renamed the Arbor Theatre around 1936. The theatre closed sometime around 1950, and has since been demolished.[106] | |
| Venezia Theatre | 220 | 1211 South 13th Street | |||
| Victoria Theatre | 5303 North 24th Stt | Later renamed the Fort Theatre | |||
| Westroads Dinner Theater | September 1, 1970[107] | 500 | 10000 California Street, Basement | A circular stage was surrounded by tables for patrons. Located in the basement of the Westroads Mall, the theater closed on February 22, 1978.[108] | |
| Winn Theatre[109] | 4006 1/2 Hamilton Street | Later called the Fortieth Street Theatre[110] | |||
| Wonderland Theater[111] | 1315 and 1317 Farnam Street | Theater, Curio Hall and Palace of Illusions | |||
| Wonderland Theatre | 2525 South 13th Street | ||||
| World Theater[112] | 1922 | 2,100 | 1506 Douglas Street | In February 1935 the theater's name was changed to the Omaha Theater. The theater ceased operations on February 26, 1978. When plans for its restoration failed, the theater was razed in 1980 and a parking garage erected on the site. | |
| Drive-in theaters in Omaha | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Built | Capacity | Location | Notes | |
| 76 West Dodge Drive-In Theatre | 1948 | 648 cars | Dodge corner of 76th Street | It was closed on July 17, 1983, and was demolished.[113] A strip mall now stands on the site. At the time it closed, it was noted as being Omaha's oldest drive-in theater.[114] | |
| 84th and Center Drive-In Theatre | 1953 | 84th and Center Streets | This theater closed in 1974. | ||
| Airport Drive-In | 1954 | 11th and Locust Streets, Carter Lake | Later called the Capri Drive-In; closed in 1972 | ||
| Golden Spike[115] | 1952 | 650 cars | 11400 Dodge Street | The first feature shown at this theater was Show Boat, starring Kathryn Grayson, Ava Gardner and Howard Keel. This theater closed in 1985, was demolished, and a shopping center was built in its place. | |
| Q-Twin Drive-In[116] | 1961 | 1600 cars | 5580 South 120th Street | Had a dual screen, and a sports car section.[117] Its closure, in 1987, marked the end of drive-in theaters in Omaha. In 1988 the land was redeveloped for upscale homes. | |
| Sky-View Drive-In[118] | August 1954 | 1100 cars | 7200 Hartman Avenue | The drive-in was typically open March through December. The drive-in closed in 1985 and the land redeveloped for a storage facility.[119] | |