Menominee Theatre

Joe Vogel on April 8, 2015 at 12:39 pm

This isn’t the old storefront theater pictured at Water Winter Wonderland. It isn’t in Marinette, Wisconsin, either. It turns out that Menominee changed its named streets and avenues to numbered streets and avenues at some point. Old Ludington Avenue is now Fifth Avenue, so the Menominee Theatre was at modern address 110 Fifth Avenue.

Google Maps doesn’t have a street view of that location, but there’s an oblique view from First Street and the building at 110 turns out to be the old Menominee Opera House. A non-profit group is currently raising funds for its restoration. They have a web site but it is being moved to a new server and isn’t available right now. There is a Facebook page with a few photos, mostly of fund raising events held in the theater, which is in pretty rough shape.

The Opera House has a Wikipedia page which says it was built in 1902, and was designed by architect George O. Garnsey. The Opera House hosted a variety of events and entertainments, including some movies, until closing in 1929, after which it was used as a civic auditorium until around 1945 when it was reopened as the Menominee Theatre.

A fire in 1950 led to the bankruptcy of the owner and the building was sold to a new owner who converted it into a warehouse. In 2004, the building was deeded to the Menominee Opera House Association, the group which is now gradually restoring it to serve as a performing arts venue.

Joe Vogel on April 7, 2015 at 10:05 pm

Water Winter Wonderland lists a Menominee Theatre but says it was on Main Street. There is a photo of Main Street with a storefront theater, presumably this house, though the sign on the building is generic.