Minneapolis, MN

Pantages Theater

710 Hennepin Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55403

In 1916 Alexander Pantages opens the 26th of what would eventually be a total of 500 theatres. The Pantages boasted the first air-conditioning in a Minneapolis theatre, which involved cooling the air with ice. Alexander Pantages also innovated the mezzanine, a carpeted lobby on the balcony level with restrooms and telephones. The first show at the Minneapolis Pantages was a vaudeville lineup that included singers, comedians, and a banjo player.