Riverside Theatre Wurlitzer Organ – Milwaukee, WI

Discover the history and specifications of Milwaukee’s only theatre organ that remains in its original theatre!

Theatre History and Opening

The Riverside Theatre opened as an original Orpheum circuit house on April 29, 1928, with seven Vaudeville acts and a film titled “The Big Noise.” The theatre, designed by architects Kirchoff and Rose, is of modified French style and is part of a 12-story downtown office building known as the Empire Building. Located on the west bank of the Milwaukee River, it quickly became Milwaukee’s showplace, with 2,500 seats and excellent acoustics.

It continued through the 1940s as a performance venue with big bands and featured entertainers, and through the 1950s as a first-run movie house. The organ was regularly used into the 1950s.

Restoration and Gift to DTOS

The Dairyland Theatre Organ Society began restoring the organ in 1980, repairing extensive water damage from a leaky roof and ordinary wear and tear after years of use. The theatre, which was also in poor condition and relegated to showing “Kung Fu” films to audiences of mere handfuls, went dark on Labor Day of 1982.

With the advent of the “multiplex cinema” in suburban areas, the days of the downtown movie palace were over. However, the owners of the building, in which the theatre is an integral part, decided to refurbish the Riverside in 1983 and return it to its role as a live performance house.

The Riverside reopened on November 2, 1984. At that time, in appreciation for their hard work in preserving and maintaining the organ and the building, as well as raising awareness about the theatre’s condition and value to the community, the organ was gifted to the Dairyland Theatre Organ Society.

The History of The Riverside Wurlitzer

The Riverside 3/14 Wurlitzer is the original Style 240, Opus 1865, installed for the theatre’s opening in 1928.

Originally, 13 ranks, a Trivo Post Horn, and a Barton 16’ Tibia extension were added. By interfacing the electro-pneumatic Wurlitzer relay from the Sheboygan Theatre, the unification was also increased, allowing for a more flexible specification.

The club is still maintaining this instrument. Regulators have recently been rebuilt, and they are working on updating the post horn chest.

The ranks can be found at the bottom of this post.

Doors Open Milwaukee

In recent years, the Riverside Wurlitzer has become a central feature of the theatre’s participation in the annual “Doors Open Milwaukee” event. Doors Open Milwaukee allows citizens to tour many of Milwaukee’s historic buildings and to access areas not often open to the public. Depending on the theatre’s schedule, the Riverside is normally open one or both days of Doors Open Weekend.

It is a thrill for DTOS to present this wonderful organ in such an accessible way, offering everyone a chance to experience a theatre pipe organ in its natural environment! The look of thrill on the faces of children and adults alike speaks for itself!

Hear The Organ From A Past Doors Open

Specifications of the Riverside Wurlitzer

All the ranks listed are original to the organ unless stated otherwise.