Academy of Music (Philadelphia)

Academy of Music
The Grand Old Lady of Locust Street
	The Academy of Music in Center City Philadelphia
Address	240 S. Broad Street; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; United States
Public transit	Walnut–Locust: Broad Street Line 12th–13th & Locust 15th–16th & Locust: PATCO Speedline SEPTA bus: 4, 12, 27, 32
Owner	Philadelphia Orchestra
Operator	Philadelphia Orchestra
Type	Opera house
Capacity	2,509
Construction
Built	1855–57
Opened	1857
Website
	www.academyofmusic.org
	Academy of Music
	U.S. National Register of Historic Places
	U.S. National Historic Landmark
Coordinates	39°56′52.84″N 75°9′54.4″W / 39.9480111°N 75.165111°W
Built	1855–57
Architect	Napoleon LeBrun & Gustavus Runge
Architectural style	Rundbogenstil and Baroque Revival
NRHP reference No.	66000674
Significant dates
Added to NRHP	October 15, 1966
Designated NHL	December 29, 1962

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]

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

^ Gallery, John Andrew, ed. (2004), Philadelphia Architecture: A Guide to the City (2nd ed.), Philadelphia: Foundation for Architecture, ISBN 0962290815, pp.56–57
^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 15, 2006.
^ ^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.
^ Tom Di Nardo, "Happy birthday: Academy of Music to celebrate 150 lavish years." Philadelphia Daily News (January 24, 2007)
^ Peter Dobrin (January 26, 2007). "A stalwart hall that does it all". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved September 12, 2016.
^ 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

[philarch-1] Gallery, John Andrew, ed. (2004), Philadelphia Architecture: A Guide to the City (2nd ed.), Philadelphia: Foundation for Architecture, ISBN 0962290815, pp.56–57

[nris-2] "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 15, 2006.

[nhlsum-3] "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] Peter Dobrin (January 26, 2007). "A stalwart hall that does it all". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved September 12, 2016.

[nrhpinv2-6] 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

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