The Columbian Theatre, Museum and Art Center

 The Columbian Theater in Wamego, Kansas is a restored 1895 theatre which began as a music hall and first hosted vaudeville performances & concerts, then silent pictures and finally modern motion pictures before going dark in 1950. The theatre was built by Wamego's J. C. Rogers who had visited the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition (Chicago World's Fair) and purchased paintings and other artifacts back to furnish the new music hall.

Restoration of the theatre began in 1989 and the Columbian reopened for live shows and special events in 1994. On the day that these photos were taken, the Columbian Theatre was being prepared for a wedding reception.

The most interesting features of the Columbian Theater are 6 large murals and various other furnishings which have survived from the World's Columbian Exposition.   Today, The Columbian Theatre is 119 years old. Not only can musicals and play still be seen on the stage, but art exhibits are regularly displayed in the main floor gallery.