Historical Marker

Iroquois Amphitheater

Historical marker location:

Louisville, Kentucky

( 1080 Amphitheater Rd., Louisville)

The official amphitheater of Ky., it was built in 75 days by 275 WPA employees. It opened with a sold-out production of Naughty Marietta on July 4, 1938. The main attraction was the dazzling water curtain. In 2000, the amphitheater began an $8.9 million restoration, preserving portions of the original structure.

Reverse

Works Progress Admin., 1935-1943- Created by Franklin D. Roosevelt during the Great Depression. At its height, the WPA employed 73,000 Kentuckians in literature, construction, and arts projects. Among the most prominent projects in Louisville were the runway and Art Deco building at Bowman Field and the Iroquois Amphitheater.