Five Flags Center
405 Main Street,
Dubuque,
IA
52001
405 Main Street,
Dubuque,
IA
52001
3 people
favorited this theater
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Five Flags Center (Official)
Additional Info
Previously operated by: Orpheum Circuit, RKO
Architects: Cornelius Ward Rapp, George W. Leslie Rapp
Firms: Liebenberg and Kaplan, Rapp & Rapp
Functions: Concerts, Live Performances
Styles: Beaux-Arts
Previous Names: Majestic Theatre, Bijou Theatre, Spensley Orpheum Theatre, RKO Orpheum Theatre, Five Flags Civic Center
Phone Numbers:
Box Office:
563.589.4254
Nearby Theaters
First known as the Majestic Theatre, this theatre was modeled after the original Moulin Rouge in Paris. It opened on November 16, 1910 with a seating capacity for 1,400. From November 116, 1929 it operated as the Spensley Orpheum Theatre screening movies. It later became the RKO Orpheum Theatre. In 1956 it was remodeled to the plans of architectural firm Lieberman & Kaplan, with Seeman Kaplan supervising the work.
Today, it is known as the Five Flags Center and presents several types of entertainment, including nationally-known musicians, professional theater groups, and other live events.
Contributed by
Mike Geater
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Recent comments (view all 15 comments)
Here is one of the Library of Congress photos from Ed Wilke’s link. There are twelve if you happen across the site:
http://tinyurl.com/34er8t
Here’s another view from a different LOC page:
http://tinyurl.com/2uk89g
Here is another LOC photo, no date given:
http://tinyurl.com/2mrqwe
The first all-talking movie, Lights of New York, began a run at the Majestic Theatre on August 5, 1928.
NEWSPAPER AD
Although the former Majestic Theater is part of the Five Flags Center, the theater itself is billed as the Five Flags Theater (move Street View closer and see the name on the windows.)
Encyclopedia Dubuque has pages for the Majestic Theatre, which features three interior photos, and for the Orpheum Theatre, which has a photo showing the facade.
The line in the introduction saying that the Majestic was modeled after the original Moulin Rouge in Paris doesn’t make sense, as this is what the original Moulin Rouge looked like.
Side note: before being called the Moulin Rouge it was the Mistinguett Music Hall.
Undated photo as the Majestic added via Robert Ungs.
1910 image added via Gary Dieters‎.
Shows original cost at $125,000.00
This is not the only theater in Dubuque to have had the name Orpheum. The 1914-1915 American Motion Picture Directory lists a house called the Orpheum at 336 Main Street.
The September 29, 1956 issue of Boxoffice has an article about extensive remodeling of the Orpheum at Dubuque being undertaken by new owners the World Theatre Company of Minneapolis. Plans for the $75,000 project had been prepared by Liebenberg & Kaplan. Seeman Kaplan would personally supervise the work.