1. Vaudeville: Vaudeville was a popular form of live entertainment that featured a variety of acts, including dancing, singing, comedy, and acrobatics. Vaudeville shows were held in theaters, music halls, and even circuses.
2. Burlesque: Burlesque was another live performance that featured comedic and often risqué acts, usually involving music, dance, and skits with exaggerated characters and situations.
3. Silent Films: The early 1900s saw the rise of silent films. These black-and-white movies often showcased slapstick comedy, melodramas, or adventure stories.
4. Arcades: Penny arcades were popular recreation spots with various coin-operated machines like fortune-telling machines, shooting galleries, and early mechanical video games.
5. Carnivals and Circuses: Carnivals and circuses traveled from town to town, offering entertainment in the form of acrobats, clowns, strongmen, and animal performances.
6. Sports: Spectating sporting events, such as boxing, baseball, and horse racing, was a popular form of entertainment. Boxing matches, in particular, drew large crowds.
7. Dance Halls and Ballrooms: People enjoyed social dancing at dance halls and ballrooms, where live bands played popular music like ragtime, waltz, and later, jazz.
8. Theater: Legitimate theater productions were popular, with Broadway in New York City being a prominent center for theater entertainment.
9. Saloons: Saloons and taverns were places for socializing, drinking, and sometimes catching live music or variety shows.
10. Home Entertainment: While more limited compared to today, some families had access to phonographs for playing music, and later, early radios for listening to live broadcasts.
11. Amusement Parks: Amusement parks started gaining popularity, featuring rides, games, and other attractions for family-friendly entertainment.
12. Minstrel Shows: These performances featured white performers in blackface, singing, dancing, and performing comedic sketches that often included stereotypes of African Americans.
13. Chautauquas: Chautauquas were traveling educational and entertainment assemblies that offered lectures, music, and cultural programs in tents or at local venues.
14. Dime Novels: Penny dreadfuls and dime novels were cheap, widely circulated publications featuring serialized adventure, crime, and mystery stories.
15. Magic Lantern Shows: These involved projecting images, often hand-painted glass slides, on a screen for entertainment.
16. Ice Cream Parlors: Ice cream parlors were social gathering spots where people could enjoy sweet treats and sometimes listen to live music or entertainment.
17. Board Games and Card Games: Families enjoyed playing various board games and card games for entertainment at home.
18. Outdoor Activities: People engaged in outdoor activities like picnics, hiking, fishing, and bicycling for recreation and leisure.
19. Wild West Shows: Wild West shows featured reenactments of Western life, cowboy tricks, and performances by Native American performers.
20. Public Lectures and Readings: Prominent authors, intellectuals, and explorers often gave public lectures or readings, drawing large audiences.