The Grand Opera House in Wilmington, a little over half an hour south of Philadelphia, is one of the finest surviving 19th-century opera houses in the United States. It was built in 1871 by the Masonic Grand Lodge of Delaware and is distinguished by its ornate cast-iron façade in the Second Empire style. Seating around 1,100, the house originally served as an opera and vaudeville theatre and hosted, over the course of its history, stars of drama and opera alike. After a careful restoration, "The Grand" today serves as Delaware's leading cultural centre and is the home of OperaDelaware and the Delaware Symphony Orchestra, among others. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the building combines historic splendour with a wide-ranging contemporary programme.
In the 20th century the house served for a time as a cinema, before being restored in the 1970s.
At a glance
- Type
- Opera house
- Location
- Wilmington, USA
- Address
- 818 North Market Street, Wilmington, DE 19801
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