Old National Centre

Old National Centre
Name	Old National Centre
Location	Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana
Built	1883–1886
Architect	Oscar D. Bohlen; D.A. Bohlen and Son
Architecture	Beaux-Arts, Renaissance Revival
Added	1974

Old National Centre The Old National Centre is a historic performing arts center and multi-venue complex in downtown Indianapolis that anchors the Massachusetts Avenue Historic District and connects to the Hilbert Circle Theatre corridor. Since its late-19th-century construction, it has housed touring vaudeville circuits, motion picture exhibition, and contemporary concert and theater presentations, serving as a cultural hub for Indiana and the wider Midwestern United States. The venue's layered uses reflect intersections with regional railroad networks, local civic institutions, and national entertainment circuits.

History

Commissioned during Indianapolis's post-Civil War expansion, the building was begun in the early 1880s by firms associated with the Bohlen family, including Oscar D. Bohlen and D.A. Bohlen and Son, who contributed to other prominent Indiana landmarks such as Crown Hill Cemetery mausolea and the English Opera House. Early occupants included touring companies affiliated with the Orpheum Circuit, Keith-Albee-Orpheum, and Loew's chains, as well as local theatrical troupes drawn from the Indiana University and Butler University communities. In the 20th century, the complex adapted to film exhibition during the silent film era and the talkies revolution, hosting premieres tied to studios like Paramount Pictures and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer booking exchanges. Ownership and naming evolved with corporate sponsorships and philanthropic interventions, including ties to regional banking institutions and nonprofit arts organizations such as the Indiana Repertory Theatre and local historical societies. The structure was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in the 1970s, a movement contemporaneous with preservation campaigns for sites like the Indiana Statehouse and the Union Station.

Architecture and design

The complex displays stylistic elements associated with Beaux-Arts architecture and Renaissance Revival architecture, reflecting the aesthetic sensibilities of late-19th-century civic building programs found in cities like Chicago and Cincinnati. Facades utilize masonry, cast iron, and terracotta ornamentation similar to work by regional firms responsible for Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site commissions. Interior spatial planning incorporates auditorium sightlines comparable to designs by theater architects who collaborated with entities such as Rapp & Rapp and Thomas W. Lamb. Decorative schemes feature plasterwork, proscenium arches, and gilt detailing resonant with contemporaneous venues including the Lyric Theatre and the Hilbert Circle Theatre. Structural improvements over time integrated modern systems from manufacturers based in Detroit and Cleveland, aligning the building's infrastructure with 20th-century advances in stagecraft and audience amenities.

Theater and performance spaces

The center houses multiple performance venues of varying scale, paralleling multi-theater complexes like Carnegie Hall in modular programming capacity and the Strand Theatre model for vaudeville-to-film transitions. Principal halls provide orchestral accommodations suitable for touring companies such as the New York Philharmonic and contemporary popular acts that circulate with promoters like Live Nation and AEG Presents. Black box and studio theaters support resident companies including Indiana Repertory Theatre and community ensembles that collaborate with universities such as Ball State University and Purdue University. Backstage facilities have been upgraded to meet union standards set by Actors' Equity Association and technical expectations articulated by the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees. Lobby and gallery spaces double as exhibition venues for visual artists associated with institutions like the Indianapolis Museum of Art.

Events and programming

Programming spans classical music, jazz, rock, comedy tours, dance companies, film festivals, and community events similar in scope to offerings at the Indiana State Fairgrounds and citywide festivals such as Indy Pride and Indy Jazz Fest. The center has hosted national touring productions of Broadway shows affiliated with the National Touring Broadway circuit, family programming tied to organizations like Sesame Workshop, and benefit galas for nonprofits including United Way of Central Indiana and Central Indiana Community Foundation. Educational outreach partnerships have connected the venue with school systems in Marion County and regional arts education programs supported by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Lilly Endowment.

Preservation and restoration

Preservation efforts mirror those carried out for other Midwestern landmarks such as Union Station (Chicago) and involved collaboration among municipal agencies, private donors, and preservation organizations like the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the Indiana Landmarks. Restoration campaigns focused on structural stabilization, historic fabric conservation, and modernization of mechanical systems to meet codes enforced by Indiana Department of Homeland Security and municipal planning commissions. Funding mechanisms combined historic tax credits, capital campaigns led by civic leaders, and naming-rights agreements with financial institutions and corporations headquartered in Indianapolis and Carmel. Conservation specialists referenced period documentation from archives associated with the Indiana Historical Society and rehearsal records from touring companies archived at the Library of Congress.

Cultural significance and impact

As a longstanding presentation space, the center has contributed to Indianapolis's cultural identity alongside institutions like the Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields, Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art, and the Children's Museum of Indianapolis. It has served as a platform for artists who later achieved national prominence, intersecting with touring routes used by performers associated with labels and promoters in Nashville, New York City, and Los Angeles. The venue's programming and preservation have influenced downtown revitalization strategies comparable to initiatives around Mass Ave and transit-oriented redevelopment near Circle Centre Mall. Through community partnerships and touring residencies, the venue continues to shape regional cultural economies and audience development trajectories in the Midwest.

Category:Theatres in Indiana Category:National Register of Historic Places in Indianapolis