The Teatro Massimo dominates the Piazza Verdi at the northern edge of the old town, a neoclassical pile of pale limestone with a portico of six Corinthian columns and a perfect oval auditorium inside. Designed by Giovan Battista Filippo Basile and completed by his son after his death, it seats 1,300 and has acoustics that put it consistently among Europe's top opera houses.
Guided tours run several times daily in English and Italian, taking in the auditorium, royal box, and dressing rooms. Evening performances during the September–June season are the better experience if you can get tickets; a balcony seat costs less than you would expect. The steps outside are an obligatory photo.