The State Theater was across from the Paxton Hotel, where the downtown library is now located, on the North side of Farnam between 14th and 15th Streets.
You are really confusing people by mixing photos and addresses for two completely different theaters! The Creighton Orpheum Theatre, which you have pictured, was the original theater with an address on South 15th street. It was built as a vaudeville house. The new Orpheum Theatre, a completely different building, was opened on the same block in the 1920s with the entrance on Harney Street. During a later remodel, part of the lobby of the City National Bank Building, which stands next to the theater, was purchased and donated to the city for use as the main entrance on South 16th Street. The rest of the bank lobby has since been purchased and included as part of the theater lobby.
I’ve been puzzling over the conflicting addresses listed for the Strand Theatre and the Broadway Theatre, as both are listed with odd numbers, which would put them on the south side of Broadway, but I remember the Strand Theatre and it was on the north side of ths street. I verified with a friend who grew up in Council Bluffs and he confirmed that the Broadway was on the south side. Finally, I found the following on a website of The Historical Society of Pottawattamie County: “In 1927, the Dohany Opera House at 554 West Broadway was remodeled into the Strand Theatre. In addition to movies, the Strand was also home to broadcasting studios of radio station KSWI in the late 1940s. The Strand was destroyed by fire in December, 1974.” At last, the mystery is solved! The Strand Theatre address is listed incorrectly!!!
The Broadway Theater was on the opposite side of the street from where the Omni now sits. Odd number address are on the south side, even numbered on the north. There is a bank on the property where the Broadway use to be. The Omni was originally knows as the Midlands Four, I believe, as that was the name of the mall.
In a buy-out of most of the theatres owned by Douglas Theatres by Marcus Theatres in 2008, this theatre was closed and is not allowed to be operated as theaters.
The name of the theatre may have been the Lothrop, not the Lathrop. The intersecting street was Lothrop, and documents that I’ve seen at the downtown Omaha Public Library have it listed as the Lothrop.
The World Theatre was a block east of this block; it was on the same block as the Rialto. The new Union Pacific Headquarters building occupies that entire block now. The block where the Empress sat is a city-owned parking garage along Douglas Street; First National Bank’s public space with fountains and sculptures are on the north side of the block along Dodge Street and east of the 40 story tower between 16th and 17th and Dodge and Douglas Street.
The building was not demolished; for years, until recently, it was a salvage bursiness – Norton and Sons. Remnants of the lobby were still in existence as was the stage and the sloping floor. The manager’s office, on the north end of the west (street) side has the original paneling and chandelier.
The building was not demolished; it is used as a storage warehouse for the bumper business located next door to the North. The building was also home to the Maryland Theatre.
The building is not open to the public; it is used as a storage facility for a private business.
It was also named the New Morris Theatre at one time after the American Music Hall.
The State Theater was across from the Paxton Hotel, where the downtown library is now located, on the North side of Farnam between 14th and 15th Streets.
You are really confusing people by mixing photos and addresses for two completely different theaters! The Creighton Orpheum Theatre, which you have pictured, was the original theater with an address on South 15th street. It was built as a vaudeville house. The new Orpheum Theatre, a completely different building, was opened on the same block in the 1920s with the entrance on Harney Street. During a later remodel, part of the lobby of the City National Bank Building, which stands next to the theater, was purchased and donated to the city for use as the main entrance on South 16th Street. The rest of the bank lobby has since been purchased and included as part of the theater lobby.
The address of the Strand Theatre was 554 West Broadway, so it is listed incorrectly.
I’ve been puzzling over the conflicting addresses listed for the Strand Theatre and the Broadway Theatre, as both are listed with odd numbers, which would put them on the south side of Broadway, but I remember the Strand Theatre and it was on the north side of ths street. I verified with a friend who grew up in Council Bluffs and he confirmed that the Broadway was on the south side. Finally, I found the following on a website of The Historical Society of Pottawattamie County: “In 1927, the Dohany Opera House at 554 West Broadway was remodeled into the Strand Theatre. In addition to movies, the Strand was also home to broadcasting studios of radio station KSWI in the late 1940s. The Strand was destroyed by fire in December, 1974.” At last, the mystery is solved! The Strand Theatre address is listed incorrectly!!!
The Broadway Theater was on the opposite side of the street from where the Omni now sits. Odd number address are on the south side, even numbered on the north. There is a bank on the property where the Broadway use to be. The Omni was originally knows as the Midlands Four, I believe, as that was the name of the mall.
In a buy-out of most of the theatres owned by Douglas Theatres by Marcus Theatres in 2008, this theatre was closed and is not allowed to be operated as theaters.
The name of the theatre may have been the Lothrop, not the Lathrop. The intersecting street was Lothrop, and documents that I’ve seen at the downtown Omaha Public Library have it listed as the Lothrop.
The location is now home to Miracle Hills Shopping Center, an outdoor mall.
The World Theatre was a block east of this block; it was on the same block as the Rialto. The new Union Pacific Headquarters building occupies that entire block now. The block where the Empress sat is a city-owned parking garage along Douglas Street; First National Bank’s public space with fountains and sculptures are on the north side of the block along Dodge Street and east of the 40 story tower between 16th and 17th and Dodge and Douglas Street.
The building was not demolished; for years, until recently, it was a salvage bursiness – Norton and Sons. Remnants of the lobby were still in existence as was the stage and the sloping floor. The manager’s office, on the north end of the west (street) side has the original paneling and chandelier.
The building was not demolished; it is used as a storage warehouse for the bumper business located next door to the North. The building was also home to the Maryland Theatre.
The location is now a server farm owned by Google.