Thalian Hall

One of the oldest operating performance venues in the United States, built 1858

Thalian Hall is a magnificent example of Italianate civic architecture and one of the finest 19th-century theatres in the American South. Built in 1858 to a design by John Trimble (a New York architect who had worked on several prominent theatres), it has a beautifully preserved interior — curved balconies, decorative plasterwork, and the intimate scale of a pre-microphone performance space.

The hall is still an active venue for concerts, theatrical performances, and film screenings. Tours of the building are available and worthwhile — a knowledgeable guide makes the history of the space comprehensible in a way that a self-guided visit cannot. The programming is ambitious for a city this size and tickets are affordable. If something is on the night you're in Wilmington, go.

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A story
Thalian Hall is named for Thalia, the Greek muse of comedy. It opened in 1858 as a combined city hall and opera house — an arrangement common in 19th-century American cities that gave the building a dual identity it retains today (the city council still meets in the building). Among the performers who have appeared here: Buffalo Bill Cody, John Philip Sousa, and Lillian Russell. It is one of fewer than 20 surviving antebellum theatres in the United States still in regular use.