Overview

The Pantages Theater reflects the vaudeville theater era in Minneapolis. 

• Location: 710 Hennepin Avenue
• Neighborhood: Downtown West

Historic profile

The Pantages Theater reflects the vaudeville theater era in Minneapolis. Greek immigrant Alexander Pantages built a national chain of theaters from 1906 to 1936. The Minneapolis location was the 26th of 500 when it was built in 1916.

The Pantages Theater was built on Hennepin Avenue during the golden age of theater. This was the primary entertainment district. There were 25 theaters downtown in 1916. Only four of these theaters remain.

The Pantages Theater was designed as a grand 12-story complex primarily in the Beaux Arts style by Kees and Colburn. However, only the two-story Art Moderne base was ever built. The building also included retail space. The front elevation was re-faced with red granite in 1946 and a built-in box office was added.

While the exterior is simple, the interior of the theater is extravagant. The lobby was renovated several times, including in 1961 by Liebenberg, Kaplan and Associates. The auditorium is largely unchanged. Marcus Priteca, the principal architect of the Pantages chain, designed the auditorium. It has ornate plaster work in a Classical Revival design with large columns along the stage.

The Pantages was built as a vaudeville theater. Vaudeville theater had short, independent acts with music, singing, dancing or comedy. This theater began to show movies in 1929 as they became more popular.

The theater closed in 1984 and was vacant. From 1996-2002, the theater was renovated using the original architectural drawings. It reopened in 2002 in a partnership with the City of Minneapolis and Hennepin Arts.