Academy of Music (Philadelphia)

Academy of Music
The Grand Old Lady of Locust Street
The Academy of Music in Center City Philadelphia
Map
Address240 S. Broad Street
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
United States
Public transit Walnut–Locust:

12th–13th & Locust

15th–16th & Locust: Bus transport SEPTA bus: 4, 12, 27, 32
OwnerPhiladelphia Orchestra and Ensemble Arts
OperatorPhiladelphia Orchestra and Ensemble Arts
TypeOpera house
Capacity2,509
Construction
Built1855–57
Opened1857
Website
www.academyofmusic.org https://www.ensembleartsphilly.org
Academy of Music
Coordinates39°56′52.84″N 75°9′54.4″W / 39.9480111°N 75.165111°W / 39.9480111; -75.165111
Built1855–57[1]
ArchitectNapoleon LeBrun & Gustavus Runge
Architectural styleRundbogenstil and Baroque Revival
NRHP reference No.66000674
Significant dates
Added to NRHPOctober 15, 1966[2]
Designated NHLDecember 29, 1962[3]

The Academy of Music, also known as American Academy of Music, is a concert hall and opera house located at 240 S. Broad Street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Despite its name, the Academy has never contained a music school. It is located between Locust and Manning Streets in the Avenue of the Arts area of Center City.

The hall was built in 1855–57 and is the oldest opera house in the United States that is still used for its original purpose.[4] Known as the "Grand Old Lady of Locust Street," the venue is the home of the Philadelphia Ballet and Opera Philadelphia. It was also home to the Philadelphia Orchestra from its inception in 1900 until 2001, when the orchestra moved to the new Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts. The Philadelphia Orchestra still retains ownership of the Academy,[5] in partnership with Ensemble Arts.

The hall was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1962.[3][6]

  1. ^ Gallery, John Andrew, ed. (2004), Philadelphia Architecture: A Guide to the City (2nd ed.), Philadelphia: Foundation for Architecture, ISBN 0962290815, pp.56–57
  2. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 15, 2006.
  3. ^ a b "Academy Of Music". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Archived from the original on December 25, 2005. Retrieved February 17, 2008.
  4. ^ Tom Di Nardo, "Happy birthday: Academy of Music to celebrate 150 lavish years." Philadelphia Daily News (January 24, 2007)
  5. ^ "Academy of Music | Ensemble Arts | Philadelphia".
  6. ^ Charles E. Shedd Jr., et al. (December 1979) National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination: American Academy of Music; Academy of Music, National Park Service and Accompanying one photo, exterior, undated