When Scottish-born architect, Thomas W. Lamb, designed the Ohio Theatre, he envisioned “a palace for the average man.” The Ohio Theatre opened in 1928—a Loew's movie house that was a 2,779-seat Spanish-Baroque masterpiece—complete with its own orchestra and theatre organ. In addition to the movies, live stage shows touring on the Loews circuit found a home on the Ohio stage. During the heyday of vaudeville, many top performers crossed the Ohio's stage, including Milton Berle, Ray Bolger, Cab Calloway, Buddy Ebsen, Martha Raye, Jean Harlow, Ginger Rogers, Kate Smith, and a young M.C. with a violin named Jack Benny.

The Ohio Theatre thrived as a movie house until the suburban sprawl of the 1960s drew traffic out of downtown. Like many other grand theatres of the past, the Ohio was headed for demolition. In 1969, the citizens of central Ohio mounted a “Save the Ohio” campaign, raising over 2 million dollars in less than a year in an unprecedented effort. The newly formed Columbus Association for the Performing Arts (CAPA) subsequently purchased and renovated the Ohio Theatre, creating a home for Columbus' performing arts institutions that is the busiest performing arts facility in Ohio.

When Scottish-born architect, Thomas W. Lamb, designed the Ohio Theatre, he envisioned “a palace for the average man.” The Ohio Theatre opened in 1928—a Loew's movie house that was a 2,779-seat Spanish-Baroque masterpiece—complete with its own orchestra and theatre organ. In addition to the movies, live stage shows touring on the Loews circuit found a home on the Ohio stage. During the heyday of vaudeville, many top performers crossed the Ohio's stage, including Milton Berle, Ray Bolger, Cab Calloway, Buddy Ebsen, Martha Raye, Jean Harlow, Ginger Rogers, Kate Smith, and a young M.C. with a violin named Jack Benny.

The Ohio Theatre thrived as a movie house until the suburban sprawl of the 1960s drew traffic out of downtown. Like many other grand theatres of the past, the Ohio was headed for demolition. In 1969, the citizens of central Ohio mounted a “Save the Ohio” campaign, raising over 2 million dollars in less than a year in an unprecedented effort. The newly formed Columbus Association for the Performing Arts (CAPA) subsequently purchased and renovated the Ohio Theatre, creating a home for Columbus' performing arts institutions that is the busiest performing arts facility in Ohio.