Odeon Theater – Belview

The Odeon Theater in Belview is one of the best-preserved examples of an early twentieth-century building type-the wood-frame performing arts hall-and also represents the community’s desire to bring culture to the region. The theater, designed by A. Pottratz, was built in 1901 for $3,500 after Belview lobbied the Minnesota Legislature to exceed the legal limit of bond sales for its construction. The simplified Queen Anne building has a barrel-vault, pressed-tin ceiling. Its multifunctional performance hall has been used for touring vaudeville troupes, local talent shows, motion pictures, band concerts, and even basketball games. Still in use today, the Odeon Theater features a stage curtain with early twentieth-century advertising.