Editor’s Note: As Lexington celebrates the 250th anniversary of its founding, the Herald-Leader and kentucky.com each day throughout 2025 will share interesting facts about our hometown. Compiled by Liz Carey, all are notable moments in the city’s history — some funny, some sad, others heartbreaking or celebratory, and some just downright strange.
In 1961, the opening of the Oleika Shriners Temple was big news.
In fact, there was a huge dedication ceremony for the temple’s opening — the end of a nearly 40 year wait for the Shriners of Lexington to find a home. The unique building with its Arabian-inspired façade and tower were one of a kind when they debuted in Lexington on Aug. 5, 1961…