MILWAUKEE — The Wisconsin Historical Society announced Monday it has added the Oriental Theatre in Milwaukee on the State Register of Historic Places.
According to the Wisconsin Historical Society, the Oriental Theatre is "a highly intact example of a movie palace, a type that has become increasingly rare within Milwaukee."
"Compared with a typical movie theater of that period, the movie palace was larger and grander, featuring expansive lobbies, balconies, a stage, and an orchestra pit," the Wisconsin Historical Society said in a statement.
The threatre was designed by Milwaukee architects Dick & Bauer in 1927, which was the height of popularity for movie palaces.
Officials say the Oriental Theatre is a representative of an "Exotic Revival" movie palace and was designed to make visitors feel like they were in a unique setting, such as an exotic and distant land.
"The design of the Oriental Theatre incorporates elements of East Indian, Moorish, Islamic, and Byzantine architecture to create what architect A. H. Bauer called a “temple of Oriental art” executed in ornamental plaster and decorative painting," the Wisconsin Historical Society said in a statement.
The State Register is Wisconsin's official list of properties that are significant to the state's heritage.
The Oriental Theatre is located at 2230 N Farewell Ave.
