The Ogden Theatre is a historic concert venue at 935 East Colfax Avenue in Denver’s Capitol Hill neighborhood, occupying a Mediterranean Revival building that first opened as a movie palace on September 6, 1917. Designed by architect Harry W. J. Edbrooke, the theater spent decades as part of the Fox Theater circuit before becoming a cult favorite for weekly screenings of The Rocky Horror Picture Show in the 1980s.
The building closed as a movie house in 1990 and faced possible demolition before Doug Kauffman’s Nobody in Particular Presents purchased and restored it as a live music venue, reopening on September 2, 1993. Now booked by AEG Presents, the Ogden hosts roughly 150 concerts a year and remains one of Denver’s most beloved mid-sized rooms, holding a listing on the National Register of Historic Places since 1995.
Stats at a Glance
- Location: 935 E. Colfax Ave, Denver, Colorado
- Type: Live music venue (former movie theater)
- Opened: September 6, 1917 (reopened as music venue September 2, 1993)
- Capacity: About 1,600 for concerts
- Operator: AEG Presents (since 2006)
- Famous for: Rocky Horror Picture Show screenings and National Register of Historic Places listing
From Movie Palace to Concert Hall
Built in 1917 and designed by architect Harry W. J. Edbrooke, the Ogden spent its first seven decades as a cinema, passing through the Fox Theater circuit, National General Corporation, and Mann Theatres. It earned a devoted following in the 1980s for its Saturday-night Rocky Horror Picture Show screenings before closing as a film venue in 1990 and sitting vacant, at risk of demolition.
Local promoter Doug Kauffman bought the building in 1992 and reopened it as a live music venue in September 1993, preserving its Mediterranean Revival details while updating the sound, lighting, and staging systems for touring bands.
A Colfax Avenue Landmark
Today the Ogden hosts around 150 shows a year across genres from indie rock to hip-hop, and its intimate 1,600-capacity floor makes it a favorite stop for artists on the way up as well as established acts playing a smaller room. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1995 and has appeared in the film About Schmidt and in song lyrics by Atmosphere.
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Ogden Theatre FAQs
When did the Ogden Theatre open?
The building opened as a movie theater on September 6, 1917, and reopened as a live music venue on September 2, 1993.
What is the Ogden Theatre’s capacity?
The Ogden Theatre holds about 1,600 people for concerts.
Who operates the Ogden Theatre today?
AEG Presents has operated the venue since 2006, after it was originally revived by Nobody in Particular Presents in 1993.
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Photo: Jeffrey Beall / CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.