Omaha is a city of culture, a melting pot of many people from different backgrounds and countries. It’s therefore fitting that the city houses venues built specifically for celebrations of cultural traditions and community events. Some of Omaha’s best, however, no longer stand proud.
The Civic Auditorium, for one, hosted many significant events, including one of Elvis Presley’s final concerts. It was also a haven for sports, being the home of Creighton Bluejays Men’s Basketball, Creighton Bluejays Women’s Volleyball, University of Nebraska Omaha’s Hockey Team, and the Kansas City-Omaha Kings NBA basketball team. Now, nothing stands in its place at 1804 Capitol Avenue. Demolished in August of 2016, the site is now home to plans for a residential block that will include a grocery store. Concerts, sporting events, and consumer shows moved to the CHI Health Center and the Baxter Arena.
The Baxter Arena is part of the Aksarben area of Omaha today known for its shopping center and numerous restaurants. In the early 1900s, however, the term “Aksarben” held different connotations. Built in 1919, the Ak-Sar-Ben thoroughbred racetrack’s original purpose was to fund the activities of the Knights of Ak-Sar-Ben, a 501(c)(3) philanthropic organization. An article in the Ordway New Era, published in September of 1914, describes the Knights of Ak-Sar-Ben as “organized on a sound fundamental basis, fostered with the one thought in view of developing the state, Ak-Sar-Ben has come from its toddling clothes to an institution that today stands for all that is good in the present days of progressiveness.”
The Coliseum was constructed 10 years later, providing an ice rink for International Hockey League, Central Professional Hockey League, and National Hockey League games, as well as an auditorium for events such as boxing fights and comedian shows.
Glory days of the racetrack saw an attendance ranking of 10th in the United States, with up to 25,000 people betting $2 million per day on horse races. These events pulled punters from nearby states like Iowa and Kansas where such betting was illegal. Patrons of the racetrack will also remember “Omaha,” the 1935 Triple Crown thoroughbred winner, making promotional appearances during the 1950s before his natural death in 1959.
One cultural hall, however, is still standing and presenting strong: the Orpheum Theater. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the theater was built in 1895 and originally called the Creighton Theater. It was eventually added to the Orpheum Circuit, a chain of vaudeville and movie theaters, and Creighton’s name was dropped from the building in favor of the Orpheum title.
The decline in popularity of vaudeville and an expansion in 1926 saw the Orpheum screening films through 1971 before the Knights of Ak-Sar-Ben purchased the building and turned it once again into a performing arts hall. Today, the theater boasts several updates and new accommodations for modern audiences, such as an electronic marquee, LED posters in the lobby, and more comfortable seating. The theater now presents live musical entertainment, including operas with Opera Omaha, Broadway musicals with Omaha Performing Arts, and ballets with American Midwest Ballet.
Jeff Brown, Assistant Production Manager for Omaha Performing Arts, said of the Orpheum, “It’s just an absolute pleasure to give tours and open houses. Just getting to go here every day for work is insane. It’s that thing where if you do what you love, you don’t work a day in your life. That’s how I feel.”
For more information on Omaha and Nebraska history, visit /history.nebraska.gov.
This article originally appeared in the July/August 2024 issue of Omaha Magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe.
