Orpheum Theatre (Champaign, Illinois) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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New Orpheum Theatre
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(2012)
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 Location in Illinois
Location in the United States
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| Location | 346–352 N. Neil St. Champaign, Illinois |
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| Built | 1914 |
| Architect | Rapp & Rapp |
| Architectural style | Classical Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 91000085 |
| Added to NRHP | February 28, 1991 |
The Orpheum Theater opened in Champaign, Illinois in 1914. It was built where an older vaudeville theater once stood. The famous architectural company Rapp & Rapp designed the Orpheum. It was made for both live vaudeville shows and showing movies.
Over the years, the Orpheum changed owners and was updated many times. It showed its last movie in 1986. In 1991, people saved the Orpheum from being torn down. Today, it is home to the Orpheum Children's Science Museum. The building is still being restored to its original beauty.
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Building the Orpheum Theater
The Orpheum is one of the first buildings designed specifically for movies. It was an early project by the well-known architects Rapp and Rapp. This company later designed many famous "Movie Palaces" across America. These grand theaters were built in the early 1900s.
Meet the Architects: Rapp & Rapp
George Leslie Rapp and his brother Corneilus started the Rapp & Rapp company. George graduated from the University of Illinois School of Architecture in 1899. They designed over 400 theaters. Some of their famous works include:
- The Majestic Theater in Dubuque, Iowa (1910)
- The Chicago Theatre (1921)
- The Bismark Hotel and Theatre (1926)
- The Michigan Theatre in Detroit (1926)
- The Oriental Theater in Chicago (1926)
- The Paramount Theater in New York City (1926) and Aurora (1931)
Inspired by Versailles
Rapp and Rapp designed the Orpheum to look like a smaller version of the opera house at the Palace of Versailles in France. The next year, they designed the Al. Ringling Theatre in Baraboo, Wisconsin. It was also modeled after the Versailles opera house. However, the Ringling family spent much more money on decorations for their theater.
The Orpheum's inside style is French Renaissance and Baroque. The outside looks like Classical Revival architecture. It had 754 seats and 18 special viewing boxes called loge boxes.
Construction Details
The owners of the Orpheum were Joseph M. Finn and Marcus Heiman. Their company was F&H Amusement Company. Wile Brothers of Chicago was the main builder. They were experts in building theaters. The cost was about $65,000 to $70,000. Work started in May 1914.
Mandel Brothers of Chicago handled the curtains and other inside decorations. Sosman & Landis of Chicago painted the scenery. They were known as the best scenery painters in the Midwest.
Early Days: Vaudeville Shows
The Orpheum Theater officially opened on October 19, 1914. The opening night began with the New Orpheum orchestra playing "Illinois Loyalty," "America," and "The Star-Spangled Banner." Mayor Oliver B. Dobbins gave a speech. He praised the theater's beautiful design.
Five top vaudeville acts performed that night. The main performer was singer and comedian Herman Timberg. The evening ended with moving pictures. C. S. Harris was the manager.
Famous Performers and Films
The Orpheum was the main stop for vaudeville shows in Champaign and Urbana. It was part of the famous Orpheum Circuit. Many well-known performers appeared there, including:
- Will Rogers (1915)
- The Marx Brothers (1918)
- Bill "Bojangles" Robinson (1921)
- Jack Benny (1922)
- Harry Houdini (1923)
- Bob Hope (1928)
- Burns & Allen (1929)
The Orpheum also showed many classic films over the years. Some of these included:
- Birth of A Nation (1916)
- Intolerance (1917)
- City Lights (1931)
- Gone With the Wind (1940 & 1968)
- Dumbo (1941)
- A Streetcar Named Desire (1952)
- Mister Roberts (1955)
- A Hard Day's Night (1964)
During the vaudeville era, part of the theater's second floor was a boarding house. It often provided lodging for African Americans. This was important because many local hotels at the time did not allow them to stay.
The Orpheum as a Movie Theater
In the 1920s, RKO Pictures started running the Orpheum Theatre. They also managed the nearby Virginia Theater. Under RKO, the Orpheum began showing more movies and fewer live vaudeville acts. In 1967, a big renovation updated the theater's look. They added an aluminum front and redid the lobby.
In 1971, GKC Theaters bought the Orpheum. The theater was struggling to make money. In 1982, GKC leased it out. They tried to make the Orpheum an art house, showing special films. This plan did not work. The Orpheum briefly returned to showing new movies. It finally closed in 1986. The last movie shown was April Fool's Day.
Saving the Orpheum and the Children's Museum
On April 8, 1989, the Champaign Preservation and Conservation Association (PACA) held a public meeting. The theater was closed and falling apart. PACA wanted to see if people were interested in saving the Orpheum. In January 1990, the City of Champaign bought the Orpheum and the building next to it. They thought about building a parking garage there.
The city allowed 45 PACA volunteers to work on July 7, 1990. They removed the aluminum front to see the original building. This helped them check for any damage. PACA hired theater expert Michael Hardy. In July 1990, he suggested using the building for a children's museum. Champaign did not have one, and there were already many successful performing arts places nearby.
In February 1991, the city tore down the warehouse next to the Orpheum. In the fall of 1991, PACA cleaned and painted the theater's front. They also fixed the marquee. A special painting that looked like the original decorative border was added above the entrance. In 1994, the Orpheum Children's Science Museum opened its doors.
The museum now has many hands-on exhibits. It also offers different camps and clubs for kids. The museum's board has talked about moving or making the current building bigger. In January 2009, they asked for ideas on how to use the building. By 2013, their long-term plans focused on expanding the museum at its current location.
Air-Maze Project Addition
In the summer of 2014, Sharlene Denos, a teacher from University Laboratory High School (Uni High), met with museum leaders. They discussed a project that her students could do with the museum. Within six months, her students created the project. As of August 2025, this addition is still at the museum.
