When you visit downtown Minneapolis, you can experience a piece of entertainment history at the Orpheum Theatre. Opened in 1921 as the Hennepin Theater, this historic venue was billed as the country's largest vaudeville house and hosted iconic performers like the Marx Brothers, Jack Benny, and Fanny Brice. Over the decades, it evolved into a major cinema, big band stage, and eventually a hub for massive Broadway touring productions.
As you step inside from Hennepin Avenue, you will navigate a long, narrow lobby decorated with restored terra cotta bas relief sculptures and Pompeiian friezes depicting griffins and urns. Passing into the auditorium, you can admire intricate plaster work, garlands, swags, medallions, and a magnificent ceiling dome adorned with 30,000 squares of aluminum leaf. Seating 2,579 guests across its main floor and three-level balcony, the Orpheum is the largest of Hennepin Avenue's restored historic theaters.
Beyond its striking architecture, you are visiting a stage with an illustrious past, once owned by Bob Dylan and chosen for pre-Broadway world premieres like The Lion King. Whether attending a musical, comedy special, or concert, a trip to the Orpheum offers an unforgettable encounter with Minneapolis's cultural heritage.
What to see at Orpheum Theatre
- A grand auditorium ceiling dome adorned with 30,000 squares of aluminum leaf.
- Restored lobby features including six terra cotta bas relief sculptures and Pompeiian friezes.
- Extravagant auditorium decor with intricate plaster work, garlands, swags, and medallions.
- Historic venue that hosted pre-Broadway world premieres like The Lion King and was once owned by Bob Dylan.
Visiting tips
Look closely around the lobby during your visit to spot intricate Pompeiian friezes that were uncovered during the theater's restoration.
How long: 2-3 hours · Best time: Evening showtime
How to get there & what’s nearby
Orpheum Theatre is easy to reach on Minneapolis’s public transport, and pairs naturally with Gethsemane Episcopal Church and State Theatre. For where to stay, the weather and full itineraries, see our Minneapolis travel guide.
See the full Minneapolis travel guide for where to stay, the best time to visit and the top things to do.