The Orpheum Theater Center consists of three distinct (rentable) spaces; The 686-seat Historic Orpheum Theater, built in 1913; the old “Rainbow Bar” that now houses the 450-seat Anne Zabel Studio Theater; and a classroom space that accommodates 75-100 people. Front and back “Link” structures join the buildings together.

The City of Sioux Falls bought the Theater Complex from the Sioux Falls Community Playhouse in the spring of 2002 and hired SMG to manage

the property in 2003. Since taking over the venue we have been busy assisting the City with nearly $2 million in renovations and completion of the Link and Studio Theater.

A part of the renovation has been the creation of new office space for Channel 16 (City Link), the Municipal Band and the Sioux Empire Community Theatre.

The final renovations were completed late summer in 2009. A reopening celebration was held to mark the completion of the project. The final phase of the renovation included updating paint and carpeting and installing period correct seating in the main Orpheum Theater.

In the fall of 2009, two of the five original murals were re-installed. When the Orpheum Theater was purchased by the City in 2002, the murals had seen decades of neglect. As renovation and restoration projects took place at the Orpheum, the murals were identified as a key component to the theater’s setting. Midwest Art Conservation Center, based in Minneapolis, was brought in to work on the Orpheum Theater murals.The cost for restoring the first two murals was around $40,000. Two of the remaining murals, similar in size to the restored paintings but in better condition, will cost a considerable amount less to restore. However, the largest mural that still hangs above the Orpheum stage, needs to be retouched as well.