Worcester Memorial Auditorium (also known simply as "the Aud") is a multi-purpose arena located at Lincoln Square in Worcester, Massachusetts. It was built in 1933 to honor the sacrifices of Worcester citizens during times of war. The building includes a multi-purpose auditorium originally designed to seat 3,500–4,500 people, a smaller entertainment space known as the Little Theater designed to seat 675, and the Shrine of the Immortal, a war memorial with murals by renowned artist Leon Kroll commemorating the 355 soldiers and nurses from Worcester who fell during World War I.[1][2] The Aud was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980 as part of the Institutional District.[3] In 2009, Preservation Massachusetts included Lincoln Square on its "Most Endangered Historic Resources" list, because the square's three historic buildings – the Aud, the old Worcester County Courthouse, and the Lincoln Square Boys Club – were all empty or underutilized.[1][4]
The Aud | |
Address | Lincoln Square Worcester, Massachusetts United States |
---|---|
Owner | City of Worcester, Massachusetts |
Capacity | 3,508[2] |
Current use | Vacant |
Construction | |
Opened | 1933[1] |
Architect | Frederic C. Hirons and L. W. Briggs Company[5] |
In 2016, the City of Worcester engaged the Boston-based Architectural Heritage Foundation (AHF) to conduct a feasibility study of the Aud. AHF submitted its final report in February 2019, which recommended that the building become a center for digital innovation, entertainment, entrepreneurship, and the arts. Discussions between AHF and the City are ongoing.[6]