Orpheum Theatre Phoenix, Phoenix, Besucherguide & was in der Nähe unternehmen

The Orpheum Theatre is a restored Spanish Baroque theatre at 203 W Adams St in downtown Phoenix, Arizona. It opened in 1929 as a vaudeville house and was saved from decline by the City of Phoenix, which bought it in 1984. Today it is one of the most ornate historic buildings in the city centre.

The story behind it

The Orpheum was built in the late 1920s and designed by the architects Lescher and Mahoney. It opened as a stop on the national Orpheum vaudeville circuit. Inside, the decoration was meant to make the audience feel they were sitting in a Spanish courtyard under an open sky.

Like many grand picture palaces, it changed hands and fell on harder times in the decades that followed. In 1984 the City of Phoenix bought the building and began a long restoration that uncovered its original decoration. The theatre reopened in 1997 and is now used for touring shows, concerts and special events.

What to look for

• The Spanish Baroque facade, with its carved ornament, is a striking contrast to the modern towers around it.
• Inside, the painted ceiling and mouldings were designed to create the feeling of an outdoor Spanish setting, so look up when you can.
• The scale of the lobby and auditorium shows how much money went into a vaudeville palace in the 1920s.
• Across the street grid you can compare the Orpheum with the newer Herberger Theater Center, which opened in 1989 and has a very different, modern design.

Tips for your visit

• You can admire the exterior at any time. To see the interior, check the current performance schedule or ask whether tours are available.
• Allow 15 to 20 minutes for the exterior and the surrounding blocks, and longer if you are attending a show.
• Early morning or late afternoon light is kinder in Phoenix heat, and the streets are quieter outside event times.
• The Herberger Theater Center and other downtown venues are within walking distance, so it fits easily into a wider stroll.

See it on a quest

Murder Mystery: Death in the Shadows in Phoenix is a good way to see the Orpheum if you like a mystery with your sightseeing. You reach the theatre on foot as one stop on a longer route through downtown, the app tells you about each place as you arrive, and you solve a puzzle on the spot. One ticket covers the whole group.

Ghost Hunt in Phoenix suits anyone who enjoys the eerie side of old buildings. You walk to each stop at your own pace, hear about the place as you get there and work through a puzzle based on what is in front of you. One ticket covers the whole group.

Phoenix Detective Mystery: Infiltrate a Secret Society. turns the same streets into a detective trail. The Orpheum is one stop on the route, and the app gives you the background on each place and a puzzle to solve there. There is no guide and no group to join, and one ticket covers the whole group.