In 1889, Duluth’s Masons built the Temple Opera Block at 201 E. Superior Street and, behind it, the Temple Opera House at 8–12 N. Second Ave. E.

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Designed by Charles McMillien and Edward Stebbins with help from renowned theater architect Oscar Cobb, the Duluth Daily News described the building as “Grand, imposing, beautiful! The Temple is indeed the ideal of the artist’s dream and the actor’s cherished hope. Beautiful in design, nothing of the practical has been sacrificed for effect, but rather has been made to lend to the beauty of the whole.”

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An opulent theater with a grand entrance made of wrought iron and glass, seating for over 500, and 18 private boxes in three tiers on each side. They were described as “marvels of beauty and comfort.” The Temple Opera House opened with American soprano Rose Coghlan starring in the opera Jocelyn.

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A fire in 1895 consumed the entire building in less than 30 minutes. A firewall saved the Temple Opera Block.

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The Temple Opera House ruins stood for ten years before they were rebuilt as the Temple Rink, a roller skating facility designed by JJ Wangestein, boasting a skating surface 140 feet long and 70 feet wide.

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History Prepared for the NorShor Theatre/Duluth Playhouse by Zenith City Press - 2024

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In 1909, Duluth businessman Guilford Hartley purchased the Temple Opera Block at the site of the Temple Opera House along with the block of property east of the Temple Opera Block, from 207 to 213 E. Superior Street. Hartley announced that he would construct a world-class vaudeville house to stand over the footprint of the Temple Opera House. Hartley’s Orpheum Theatre was designed by renowned theatre architect John E.O. Pridemore and was adorned with richly ornate Neoclassical elements.

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On the Orpheum’s opening night (August 22, 1910), Mayor Marcus Cullum addressed the audience, told them they were “looking swell,” and then gave a short speech. The theater’s manager also claimed Duluth’s audience to be “more metropolitan than any I have seen outside of New York, Philadelphia, and Boston.”

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In 1912, an art gallery opened within the theatre, located in the theatre’s upper corridor and lounging rooms. An estimated of over 1,000 patrons toured the gallery on opening day.

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The Orpheum was, until about 1925, Duluth’s premier vaudeville stage, competing only with the Lyceum Theatre for quality acts. As a member of the nationwide Orpheum Theatre circuit, Duluth’s Orpheum was all but guaranteed to book the nation’s finest talent. Famous vaudeville acts included WC Fields and his juggling act, Mary Pickford, The Marx Brothers, Jack Benny, and Charlie Chaplain.

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When Guilford Hartley died in 1922, the Harley Company took possession of the block, and in 1926, the company built the Orpheum Garage, a parking and service garage at 307-313 E. Superior Street. The Orpheum Garage was adjoined to the theatre and operated as a parking garage, which included offices for the theatre. It has also been referred to as the Temple Annex. In 1929, the Orpheum’s main entry was moved to 207 E. Superior Street, the first bay of the Orpheum Garage. The 2nd Avenue awning was also relocated to Superior Street at that time, and a large vertical sign for the Orpheum was attached to the Temple Opera Block.

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History Prepared for the NorShor Theatre/Duluth Playhouse by Zenith City Press - 2024

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In 1940, the Minnesota Amusement Company leased the Orpheum Theatre and Orpheum Garage, hiring architects Jacob Liebenberg & Seeman Kaplan to renovate the vaudeville theater, creating the NorShor Theatre.

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The NorShor’s balcony stands where the Orpheum’s stage stood, and its screen/stage occupied the Orpheum’s former balcony site, making the NorShor Duluth’s third theater at 8–12 N. Second Ave. E.

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The NorShor’s Art Deco-inspired interior—including seating for 1,100, the world’s first Milk Bar, and the planet’s largest photomural—was considered “The Northwest’s most spectacular theater...[featuring] an entirely new style of theater architecture, a style so radical from accepted standards that the NorShor has already earned the distinction of being more sensational than New York’s Radio City.” (Duluth News Tribune 7/12/41)

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The NorShor opened with Bob Hope and Dorothy Lamour in Caught in the Draft, in which Hope reluctantly joins the US Army.

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Above its marquee stood a 65-foot high tower covered in 3,000 lights. The NorShor quickly became Duluth’s favorite movie house and remained so into the 1960s.

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History Prepared for the NorShor Theatre/Duluth Playhouse by Zenith City Press - 2024

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By the 1960s, competition from neighborhood movie houses hurt ticket sales of downtown cinemas. Most others closed, but the NorShor—despite losing its iconic tower in 1967—remained open until 1976.

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For the next three decades, a variety of operators tried to keep the NorShor open, offering second-run movies, adult films, art films, a variety of stage performances, live music, and community events, including Duluth’s Homegrown Music Festival. By 2010, it was operating as a “gentleman’s club.”

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History Prepared for the NorShor Theatre/Duluth Playhouse by Zenith City Press - 2024

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In 2010, Duluth Economic Development Authority (DEDA) purchased the “NorShor buildings”—the Orpheum, the Orpheum Garage, and the Temple Opera Block—for $2.6 million. DEDA partnered with Duluth Playhouse, a longstanding local nonprofit theatre, to manage the NorShor and raise funds for the facility. The intent was to return the NorShor to life as a vibrant cultural center that would serve the needs of the arts, dance, theatre, and musical organizations from across the region. 

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In 2012, DEDA selected developer Sherman & Associates to oversee the transformation of the NorShor Theatre. Together, the three entities—DEDA, Duluth Playhouse, and Sherman Associates formed NorShor LLC. Each brought expertise in their respective fields, and this powerful partnership crafted a compelling vision and plan for the project. Together, they directed the rehabilitation of the NorShor Theatre, creating a nearly 60,000 SF, state-of-the-art, community-based regional arts center with full performing arts education and production facilities.

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In 2014, the project received $7.1 million from the Minnesota Legislature bonding bill for the NorShor restoration. Although this was only part of the $30.5 million needed for the complete restoration, it was a critical first step. Sherman Associates secured additional financing, including Federal Historic and New Market Tax Credits.

Between 2016 and 2018, as the NorShor underwent a $30 million renovation, Sherman Associates developed the properties and served as managing member and building owner during the seven-year New Market Tax Credit (NMTC) compliance period. 

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In 2016, the City of Duluth officially designated “Old Downtown” as a historic arts and theater district (HART). The NorShor Theatre is recognized as the cornerstone for future restoration and economic development, bringing increased foot traffic, commerce, stability, and vibrancy to the center of our city.

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Duluth Playhouse led a historic $4.5 million capital campaign to raise funds for the NorShor Theatre Community Arts Center renovation and facility enhancements to ensure the theatre was fully equipped for world-class performances.

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PROJECT FEATURES:

-A beautifully refurbished 605-seat theatre with two reception lounges and bars.

-An orchestra pit, dressing rooms, and three rehearsal studios.

-Skywalk access directly into the NorShor Theatre from the Greysolon and adjacent parking ramp.

-A street-front box office and community arts kiosk.

-A fully restored Grand Marquee that brightens Superior Street in Downtown Duluth

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PROJECT BENEFITS:

-A fully restored NorShor Theatre will offer a compelling reason for tourists to consider Duluth as a destination.

-Families can experience the joy and wonder of live theatre in a historic yet modern setting, complete with contemporary amenities for a memorable, one-of-a-kind experience.

-The thriving cultural community created by the NorShor will enrich the lives of residents and contribute to the overall vitality of Duluth and the surrounding region.

-A vibrant cultural community creates an enhanced quality of life for its residents while strengthening the city and our surrounding regions.

-With its state-of-the-art facilities, the NorShor Theatre will provide a much-needed mid-sized venue for national, regional, and local performers, enhancing the city’s arts and entertainment scene.

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NorShor Capital Campaign Case Statement

NorShor Restoration Campaign Donors

In February of 2018, after years of strategic planning and hard work, the NorShor Theatre officially reopened. Duluth Playhouse moved its Main Stage productions to the NorShor with the regional premiere of the Broadway blockbuster Mamma Mia!

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As Operations Manager of the NorShor Theatre, Duluth Playhouse supported the work of regional and local arts groups while fostering collaborations that promote the arts and culture in the region.

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The Restoration in the Press

The NorShor Theatre welcomed Duluth Playhouse Youth Theatre to its stage in 2022. In 2023, it re-envisioned the storefront space to the right of the Grand Entrance, as The Lab, an intimate black box performance and rehearsal space for the Playhouse Underground. The strategic decision to consolidate all performances and programs to the NorShor Theatre allowed the Playhouse to focus exclusively on maintaining and enhancing the restored NorShor Theatre, making it the official home of Duluth Playhouse.

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In September 2023, ownership of the NorShor Theatre officially transferred from Sherman Associates to Duluth Playhouse, which had been the managing theatre since the start of the restoration project.

With over 50,000 visits each year, the NorShor Theatre has become a cornerstone of cultural life in Duluth, attracting audiences from across the region. Its stage has hosted a diverse array of performances, from local productions to regional favorites and nationally acclaimed shows.

The NorShor has revitalized the downtown, including new employment opportunities and tourism, filling once-vacant retail spaces with theatrical arts and educational programming while enhancing public safety and catalyzing other community and economic development opportunities.