---

In the 1960s and 1970s downtown Phoenix was gradually dying as people were moving to suburban areas. In the 1980s Orpheum was scheduled to be demolished by re-developers. This plan stirred up a mass protest because many residents considered Orpheum a place of collective memory. In 1984 the city of Phoenix bought the theater for $1.5 million. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places the following year. After going through a 3-year long renovation project started in 1994, in 1997 the completely restored theater proudly displayed her charm to all patrons again. Today the Orpheum is honored as the finest venue for entertainment in the Southwest US.

---