In 1916 Alexander Pantages opens the 26th of what would eventually be a total of 500 theatres. The Pantages boasted the first air-conditioning in a Minneapolis theatre, which involved cooling the air with ice. Alexander Pantages also innovated the mezzanine, a carpeted lobby on the balcony level with restrooms and telephones. The first show at the Minneapolis Pantages was a vaudeville lineup that included singers, comedians, and a banjo player.

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