40th Anniversary Open House

Free and open to all ages!

2025 marks 40 years of artistic excellence at the Ordway—plus even more milestones! And we're proud to share these anniversaries with the community that made them possible. Join us for our Open House as we celebrate the opening of our doors in 1985, as well as 25 years of the Flint Hills Family Festival, and the 10th anniversary of the Concert Hall. It’s a monumental year, and we want to share it with you! Enjoy self-guided backstage tours, activities for all ages, and performances throughout the day presented by the Schubert Club, Minnesota Opera, and the Ordway. Special appearances by Sounds of Blackness Ensemble, Ballet Co.Laboratory, One Voice Mixed Chorus, Native Arts Collaborative, and more!

What you'll find

Live performances

• Art everywhere with on-site performances by Hijinks Stilts and Women's Drum Center

• Inside looks at Arts Partnership seasons with Minnesota Opera resident artists and an Ordway presentation of 'Highlights of Broadway'

• Celebratory performances by frequent Ordway partners Native Arts Collaborative, Ballet Co.Laboratory, One Voice Mixed Chorus, and Sounds of Blackness

All-ages activities

• Take your moment in the spotlight with a chance to step out onto the Ordway stage!

• Explore the Ordway with self-guided tours and the Penguins on the Loose! themed treasure hunt

• Test your knowledge and learn with Name That Opera Tune!, presented by the Minnesota Opera

• Try on classic theater costumes from Ordway's collection

• Create and play your own bomba drum with guest artist María Isa

Even more!

• Free giveaways and chances to win

• Limited-edition Ordway anniversary merchandise

• Clever creations by balloon artist David Olson

• Enjoy your opportunity to play at the commemorative Flint Hills Family Festival piano

• Explore Ordway history with our architecture and construction story, vintage photos, memorabilia, and more

Quiet room, snacks, and family and all-gender restrooms will be available.

Celebrate three extraordinary milestones

2025 marks a year of milestones at the Ordway! For 40 years, the Ordway has been a cornerstone of exceptional artistic, educational, and cultural experiences, offering everything from Broadway musicals to live concerts, captivating dance, and thought-provoking speakers.

In collaboration with our Arts Partners—Minnesota Opera, The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, and Schubert Club—we honor our past, celebrate our present, and imagine the future together.

Presented in collaboration with