Grand Opera House (Wilmington, Delaware)
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The Grand Opera House (often called The Grand) is an 1,186 seat theater for the performing arts in Wilmington, Delaware. Established in 1871, the Grand was designed in Second Empire style by Baltimore architect Thomas Dixon and built by the Delaware Grand Lodge, incorporating symbolism from Freemasonry into the cast-iron facade.
Historically, the Grand hosted a variety of operas, symphonies, Victorian melodramas, minstrel shows, burlesque, vaudeville, and other exhibitions, including performers such as Ethel Barrymore, "Buffalo Bill" Cody and John Philip Sousa. For most of the twentieth century the Grand was operated exclusively as a movie theater, run by Warner Brothers from 1930 and eventually closing in 1967. It was reopened four years later and returned to programming emphasizing classical music, partnering with the Delaware Symphony Orchestra, Opera Delaware, and the First State Ballet Theatre. In 1973, management was turned over to a non-profit organization and the building underwent extensive restoration, which was completed in 1976.
