400-seat auditorium • Historic theater • Downtown Omaha
A HISTORIC OMAHA THEATER BUILT FOR AN AUDIENCE
Some events need more than a meeting room. They need a stage.
The Scottish Rite Masonic Center offers a distinctive 400-seat auditorium in downtown Omaha for performances, ceremonies, presentations and other events that benefit from traditional theater seating and a dedicated stage.
Historic architecture gives the room a sense of occasion before the program even begins—creating an experience that feels substantially different from a hotel ballroom or conventional meeting space.
A THEATER WITH HISTORY AND PRESENCE
The auditorium is one of the Scottish Rite Masonic Center's most distinctive spaces—a traditional theater within a building created for ceremony, performance and gathering.
Well suited for:
Theatrical productions
Recitals and performances
Ceremonies
Lectures and presentations
Awards programs
Educational programs
Nonprofit and community events
Film or multimedia presentations
The 400-seat capacity places it in an interesting position in Omaha: large enough to create the energy of a genuine audience, while remaining more intimate than the city's major performing arts halls.
MORE THAN THE PERFORMANCE ITSELF
A successful event begins before the curtain rises.
Guests enter through a historic building with architectural spaces that make arrival part of the experience. Beyond the auditorium, the Scottish Rite offers lobby and gathering areas where attendees can arrive, converse and step away from the activity of the main event. The first-floor lobby is specifically identified by Scottish Rite as a place where guests can relax or take a call away from an event.
Depending upon the event, other spaces within the building may also provide opportunities for meetings, receptions or gatherings before or after the program.
That makes the Scottish Rite especially compelling for organizations that want the event to feel like an occasion rather than simply a presentation.
A DISTINCTIVE SETTING FOR CEREMONIES AND PRESENTATIONS
Not every auditorium event is a theatrical production.
Graduations, recognition ceremonies, lectures, educational programs and organizational presentations all benefit from a room in which the audience is naturally focused toward the stage.
The Scottish Rite auditorium combines that functionality with something difficult to reproduce in a contemporary facility: architectural character.
Rather than placing an important program in a generic multipurpose room, organizations can give speakers, honorees, performers and guests a setting with genuine history and presence.
HISTORIC CHARACTER. A WORKING THEATER.
The Scottish Rite auditorium isn't simply a historic room with a stage. It remains an active theater.
Scottish Rite continues to use the auditorium for its theatrical Degrees, combining live performance, projection, audiovisual production and elaborate scenic backdrops as part of a theatrical tradition that has taken place in Scottish Rite theaters for generations.
For outside organizations, that means renting a space designed around an actual audience-and-stage experience—not a multipurpose room temporarily configured to resemble a theater.
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The Scottish Rite auditorium accommodates approximately 400 guests, providing the scale of a traditional theater while maintaining a more intimate audience experience than Omaha's largest performance venues.
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The auditorium is suited to theatrical productions, ceremonies and other stage-oriented events. Scottish Rite specifically identifies the theater as available to individuals and other nonprofit organizations for plays and ceremonies. Contact the Scottish Rite regarding your particular event and current rental policies.
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Yes. The Scottish Rite contains numerous spaces beyond the theater, including its ballroom, lounge, lobby, library and meeting rooms. Availability and use of additional spaces will depend upon the event and rental arrangements.
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Yes. Because technical requirements vary considerably between performances and presentations, discuss your production, sound, lighting, projection and staging requirements with the Scottish Rite when requesting information.
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Yes. Seeing the theater and surrounding spaces in person is the best way to determine whether the Scottish Rite is appropriate for your event. Request a private tour to discuss your program and space requirements.
EXPERIENCE THE SCOTTISH RITE AUDITORIUM
The best way to understand the character of a historic theater is to experience it from the audience, the stage and the spaces surrounding it.
We welcome event planners, nonprofit organizations, performers, educators and individuals to explore the auditorium and discuss whether it is the right setting for their program.