
In 1926, it opened as simply the Oriental Theatre. It was one of the beautiful movie palaces erected during that time and was designed to give visitors a luxurious experience during their time inside the theatre. The former Iroquois Theatre was previously erected at the same location but was destroyed in a fire in 1903. For over a decade, after showing exploitation type movies, the Oriental Theatre was closed. The original architects George and Cornelius Rapp also build the Chicago Theatre. In 1990, the Oriental Theatre was restored and became known as The Ford Center for the Performing Arts Oriental Theatre.




