MSU Riley Center

In the late 1800’s, I. Marks and half brother Levi Rothenberg saw tremendous potential in Meridian. So they built the Grand Opera House and the Marks Rothenberg department store as complements to each other in the heart of downtown. Operas, minstrel shows, vaudeville, and even the earliest silent movies were some of the offerings of the opera house. For almost 40 years, their gamble paid off as the citizens of the town stood in lines to get inside. Sadly, in 1927, with the advent of contemporary movie theaters, the opera house closed. 

Walking into the MSU Riley Center is a trip back in time as this faithful restoration of the original 1890 opera house sets a spectacular atmosphere for everything that happens here. Lyle Lovett said it was like performing from the inside of a wedding cake. It is one of this community’s most treasured sites and was a catalyst for the rebirth of downtown Meridian as more restaurants, businesses and cultural organizations have followed in its path. 

Dr. Daniel Barnard, Executive Director, states, “We provide access to nationally touring performing artists for this region, provide quality educational programming for thousands of school children annually, and host dozens of conferences and events in a beautifully restored historic venue. We have had around 200 artists in the last 15 years. We market our facility all over the place for people to host conferences, weddings, and banquets. The Threefoot Hotel is going to make a huge difference in our conference sales.” Dr. Barnard continues, “The Phil Hardin Foundation supports our educational programs. Working with the school districts, we try to balance the events so that some of the shows are aimed at younger, middle or high school aged students. We have 600-700 school children at a time, with a morning show, early afternoon show, and next year, plan to have a family show in the evenings. The Any Given Child initiative provides teachers with events and training to incorporate the arts the children have experienced into their teaching. The Children’s Museum is also working on this with us.” In a non-Covid year, as many as 10,000 school children attend shows at MSU Riley Center. 

The MSU Riley Center is the very heart of the Meridian community. With 10 full time employees, volunteers are essential to the success of MSU Riley Center. They check tickets, assist with seating, and respond to any unexpected occurrence during the shows. Dr. Barnard adds, “There will be four spring shows announced February 17^th. It’s safe to come to a show as we’ve invested a lot to make the MSU Riley Center safe for our patrons.” He concludes, “My favorite thing is to stand in the lobby as people are leaving the theater. They tell me in a hundred different ways that their lives have been changed by that night’s performance. That is why I am in this business.”

MSU Riley Center
2200 5th St., Meridian, MS