The Music Hall

Built in 1878 for vaudeville, the Music Hall is one of the oldest theatres still working in the United States. Frank Jones, the brewer who bought it in 1901, gave it the proscenium arch and the opera boxes it wears today; a change of owner in 1945 brought a change of name, to the Civic, and by the mid-1980s demolition looked likely. Volunteers stopped it and turned the building into a non-profit arts centre, 895 seats in the historic theatre and a small upstairs room, once the Loft and now the Music Hall Lounge. Restoration has continued in stages ever since — lobbies, chandelier, the neon marquee on Chestnut Street — and the programme takes in concerts, theatre, film festivals and a busy literary series.