Old National Centre facts for kids
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Murat Theatre
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| Address | 502 N. New Jersey St. Indianapolis, Indiana United States |
| Coordinates | 39°46′27″N 86°9′4″W / 39.77417°N 86.15111°W |
| Owner | Murat Shriners of the Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine |
| Operator | Live Nation |
| Capacity | 2,500 (Murat Theatre) 2,000 (Egyptian Room) 600 (Corinthian Hall) |
| Current use | music venue |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 1909 |
| Architect | Oscar D. Bohlen |
The Old National Centre is a famous building in Indianapolis, Indiana. It used to be called the Murat Shrine Temple and the Murat Shrine Center. It is owned by a group called the Murat Shriners. These Shriners are part of a larger organization known as the Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine.
The part of the building with a stage is now called the Murat Theatre at Old National Centre, or just the Murat Theatre. It has the oldest stage in downtown Indianapolis. This building is special because it is the only Shrine Center in the world with a French name. It is also the largest Shrine Center in North America.
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History of the Murat Centre
In 1882, five Freemasons from Indianapolis wanted to start their own Shrine group. The Shrine is a social organization that helps communities and supports children's hospitals. These five men got help from a Shrine Temple in Cincinnati, Ohio.
The local Indianapolis Shrine group was officially started on June 4, 1884. Their first leader was John T. Brush, who led the group from 1884 to 1897. Famous people like Lew Wallace and Thomas Taggart joined in 1885. By the end of their first year, the group had 105 members. They used a building called the "Pork House" for their meetings.
The Murat Temple building was finished in 1909. It was built by the William P. Jungclaus Company. The designs were made by Oscar D. Bohlen, who was also a Murat Shriner. The building looks like it came from the Middle East and Egypt, which was a popular style for Shriners. The name "Murat" comes from a desert oasis called Bir Murat. This oasis was named after Joachim Murat, a French general who worked with Napoleon in Egypt.
The Murat Shrine group has done many good things for Indianapolis. They gave the Indianapolis Zoo its first camel. They also helped start the famous 500 Festival Parade.
The Murat Theatre's Story
The Murat Shrine is most famous for its theater, which was built in 1910. In its early days, the theater showed many popular Broadway plays. Even Winston Churchill gave a speech there in 1932!
From 1948 to 1963, the Murat Theatre was the only place in Indianapolis to see big "road show" plays. These were plays that traveled from city to city. Before Clowes Memorial Hall opened in 1963, the Murat Theatre was the home of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. The orchestra was able to survive the Great Depression because the Murat Temple charged them very little to use the theater. The orchestra even made recordings there between 1941 and 1953. The Indianapolis Opera Company also used the theater for a short time in the 1980s.
In 1984, the Murat Shriners had the second-largest number of members of all Shrine temples in the world. In 1988, a small fire happened in a newer part of the building. Fifteen firefighters were hurt when a section collapsed, but the main building was not badly damaged.
Building Design and Style
The Old National Centre looks like Moorish mosques found in the Middle East and Egypt. It has many interesting features. You can see beautiful stained-glass windows and fancy terra cotta decorations. There are also tall, slender towers called minarets. The building uses brown and yellow bricks in stripes. A tall tower, about 208 feet high, stands at one corner.
A newer part of the building was added later, but it was designed to match the older style. The Egyptian-themed auditorium was planned before the famous discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb. This tomb belonged to an ancient Egyptian pharaoh. It was a big coincidence that the auditorium opened around the same time the tomb was found!
Event Spaces and Rooms
The Murat Shrine has two main areas for events. There is a concert hall that can hold 2,000 people. There is also a performing arts theater that can hold 2,500 people.
Today, the building has nine different areas where events can be held. The Egyptian Room can fit 2,000 people for a standing party. Other smaller areas include the Corinthian Hall, the Corinthian Annex, the Corinthian Meeting Room, the Great Hall, and the Imperial Lounge. There are also several lobby areas that can be used for events.
See also
- List of music venues
- List of attractions and events in Indianapolis
- List of tallest buildings in Indianapolis#Other structures § Notes
- List of Masonic buildings in Indiana
- Moorish Revival architecture
- House of Blues
