Opened on 23 September 1961 with a guest performance of Der Freischütz by the Landestheater Detmold, the house was designed by the Paderborn architect Franz Allerkamp and shares its site with the Ravensberger Gymnasium, serving also as the school's assembly hall. It seats 692 — 512 in the stalls, 184 in the circle. Apart from a short period in the 1990s it has never had a company of its own: over eighty performances a year come from touring drama, opera, operetta, musical and dance, sold in subscription rings.