City: Omaha, NE

Category: Tours & Attractions

Telephone: (402) 345-4849

Address: 2001 Farnam St.

Description: The Rose Theater lives in one of the most architecturally distinctive buildings in downtown Omaha. Its singular combination of Moorish and Classical architecture styles identifies it instantly; and in a past life, it was the city’s grandest movie house. It originally opened in 1927 as the Riviera, and the original owner installed the Mediterranean tile wall murals. It also had a fountain, sculptures, friezes, and Oriental rugs and tapestries. The theater sold in 1929 after the market crash and stayed the Paramount Theater until the 1950s, when it closed. In the 1960s, it was the home for a professional bowling team, the Omaha Packers, and in 1962 it became the Astro Theater, which showed films until 1979.Omaha businesswoman Rose Blumkin, of Nebraska Furniture Mart fame, bought the theater in 1981, and donated it to the Omaha Theater Company for Young People, gave $1 million toward its renovation and asked the gift be matched by the company. Today, the Rose is restored to its original 1920s-era glamour and is a popular destination for families and adults alike.The Omaha Theater Company—the country’s third largest professional children’s theater organization—still operates in the space. Performances take place year-round at the Rose. More than 5,000 kids take a class there each year, and the space is also available for concerts and rentals. A complete schedule of shows and ticket information is available at the Rose website.