Orpheum Theatre, Los Angeles
The Orpheum Theatre, located in Downtown Los Angeles, opened its doors on February 15, 1926. It was the fourth and final venue in Los Angeles associated with the Orpheum vaudeville circuit. Following a significant $3 million renovation project that commenced in 1989, it stands as the most meticulously restored among the historic movie palaces in the city.
The Orpheum boasts an elegant Beaux Arts facade, designed by renowned movie theater architect G. Albert Lansburgh. Inside, it houses a Mighty Wurlitzer organ, which was installed in 1928 and is one of only three pipe organs still in existence in Southern California.
The Orpheum theaters derive their name from the Greek mythological figure, Orpheus. Shortly after its opening, the venue became a favored stage for performances by prominent entertainers such as burlesque star Sally Rand, the Marx Brothers, Will Rogers, Judy Garland (performing with her family under the name Frances "Baby" Gumm), and comedian Jack Benny. It also hosted legendary jazz artists like Lena Horne, Ella Fitzgerald, and Duke Ellington. Vaudeville acts continued to grace the Orpheum's stage as late as 1950.
During the 1960s, the theater transitioned into a venue for rock 'n' roll concerts, featuring iconic performers like Little Richard, Aretha Franklin, and Little Stevie Wonder. Today, the meticulously restored Orpheum Theatre serves as a venue for live concerts, movie premieres, and location shoots. It has hosted various events, including a performance by the love metal band HIM for their live CD/DVD album "Digital Versatile Doom" and the live broadcast of the 2010 Streamy Awards.
The Orpheum boasts an elegant Beaux Arts facade, designed by renowned movie theater architect G. Albert Lansburgh. Inside, it houses a Mighty Wurlitzer organ, which was installed in 1928 and is one of only three pipe organs still in existence in Southern California.
The Orpheum theaters derive their name from the Greek mythological figure, Orpheus. Shortly after its opening, the venue became a favored stage for performances by prominent entertainers such as burlesque star Sally Rand, the Marx Brothers, Will Rogers, Judy Garland (performing with her family under the name Frances "Baby" Gumm), and comedian Jack Benny. It also hosted legendary jazz artists like Lena Horne, Ella Fitzgerald, and Duke Ellington. Vaudeville acts continued to grace the Orpheum's stage as late as 1950.
During the 1960s, the theater transitioned into a venue for rock 'n' roll concerts, featuring iconic performers like Little Richard, Aretha Franklin, and Little Stevie Wonder. Today, the meticulously restored Orpheum Theatre serves as a venue for live concerts, movie premieres, and location shoots. It has hosted various events, including a performance by the love metal band HIM for their live CD/DVD album "Digital Versatile Doom" and the live broadcast of the 2010 Streamy Awards.
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Orpheum Theatre on Map
Sight Name: Orpheum Theatre
Sight Location: Los Angeles, USA (See walking tours in Los Angeles)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Sight Location: Los Angeles, USA (See walking tours in Los Angeles)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Walking Tours in Los Angeles, California
Create Your Own Walk in Los Angeles
Creating your own self-guided walk in Los Angeles is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Beverly Hills Walking Tour
Undeniably one of the most famous places in the world, Beverly Hills is widely known as the most fashionable destination in Los Angeles county to shop and have fun at. Originally a Mexican ranch where lima beans were once grown, this place has long been a home to many Hollywood stars and other celebrities, luxurious hotels, and high-end boutiques.
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Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.7 Km or 1.7 Miles
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Travel Distance: 2.7 Km or 1.7 Miles
Arts District Walking Tour
The Arts District is one of the hottest neighborhoods in downtown LA, located between Little Tokyo at Alameda to the west and the railroad yards and Los Angeles River to the east. Formerly an industrial area of warehouses and factories, it has been home to art studios and galleries since the 1970s. Having undergone another downturn in the 1990s, the area was officially renamed the “Arts... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.8 Km or 1.7 Miles
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Travel Distance: 2.8 Km or 1.7 Miles
Chinatown Walking Tour
Unlike other cities where Chinese immigrant neighborhoods were formed organically, the Los Angeles Chinatown is the only planned Chinatown in the US. A blend of Chinese and American architecture, it was developed in downtown LA, as a tourist attraction, in the 1930s.
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Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.7 Km or 1.1 Miles
Designed by Hollywood artists as a "Chinese" movie prop to create an exotic atmosphere, LA's Chinatown gives out... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.7 Km or 1.1 Miles
Downtown Architecture Walking Tour
For different people, Los Angeles means different things. One such is undoubtedly architecture. Being one of the centers of the Art Deco movement, LA features a great number of amazing historic houses and buildings attributed to this and other, older and more modern styles.
One prominent landmark is the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, a contemporary construction masterpiece with its... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.6 Km or 1.6 Miles
One prominent landmark is the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, a contemporary construction masterpiece with its... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.6 Km or 1.6 Miles
Los Angeles Downtown Walking Tour
The history of Los Angeles – "a bright and guilty place," as Orson Welles described it – began on September 4, 1781, when a group of 44 Spanish settlers established a hamlet on the territory of present-day Downtown LA which they called “The Town of Our Lady the Queen of the Angels” (El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles).
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Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.5 Km or 2.2 Miles
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Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.5 Km or 2.2 Miles
El Pueblo and Little Tokyo Walk
El Pueblo and Little Tokyo are two culturally rich and historically significant neighborhoods in Los Angeles.
The former is the oldest district in the city. Also known as the birthplace of Los Angeles, El Pueblo is centered around the Los Angeles Plaza. Throughout most of the 19th century, it was the city's administrative and commercial center: first under the Spanish (from 1781 to 1821),... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.2 Km or 1.4 Miles
The former is the oldest district in the city. Also known as the birthplace of Los Angeles, El Pueblo is centered around the Los Angeles Plaza. Throughout most of the 19th century, it was the city's administrative and commercial center: first under the Spanish (from 1781 to 1821),... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.2 Km or 1.4 Miles
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