Music and Sports Venues

Heinz Hall is located in the Cultural District of Pittsburgh, PA. It is owned and operated by Pittsburgh Symphony, Inc. and is home to the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and the Pittsburgh Youth Symphony Orchestra. This performing arts center and concert hall is a well-known landmark in Pittsburgh. The building itself was constructed in 1927 and originally opened as Loew’s Penn Theatre. The movie palace was very impressive and was known as the “Temple of the Cinema”. At the time it was the finest theater between Chicago and New York. The Grand Lobby was stunning and people would travel long distances to visit the theatre. If the marble staircase, crystal chandeliers, massive columns and silk drapes didn’t impress you, the 50 foot high vaulted Venetian ceiling would be sure to grab your attention. The theater remained a thriving business until the early 1960’s when rising maintenance costs, competition with neighborhood movie theaters and television drove the company out of business. The doors closed for good in 1964 and the building was slated to be torn down to make room for a parking lot.

Henry J. Heinz II (CEO of the H.J. Heinz Company during this time) was the powerhouse and inspiration behind the development of the Cultural District in downtown Pittsburgh. When he was made aware of the plan to demolish the Penn Theatre he was inspired to restore and transform the building to the new home of the Pittsburgh Symphony. The Symphony had outgrown the Syria Mosque and Carnegie Music Hall over the years. With the help of Charles Denby (president of the Pittsburgh Symphony Society), the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh and others, Henry J. Heinz was able to purchase the building and make the needed renovations. The cost to renovate the building was $10 million and the construction lasted over three years. In 1971 Heinz Hall for the Performing Arts opened its doors. The main architecture of the building didn’t change a lot. The entrance was moved and a 40 foot window replaced the original entrance. The two 15 foot chandeliers that weigh more than one ton each remain in the Grand Lobby. They were dismantled and recrystalled during the renovation. An orchestra pit powered by a hydraulic lift and designed to accommodate 85 musicians was added. Also, a five story wing that contained a rehearsal room with the same dimensions of the main stage was added during the restoration.

There were other renovations that followed over the years. In 1982 the Heinz Hall Plaza was added. It consisted of a garden that sits adjacent to Heinz Hall and a four story addition to the building. A four month renovation costing $6.5 million was done in 1995. During this renovation a new orchestra shell was installed along with a new butterfly sound reflector, acoustical risers, heating and air conditioning improvements and the seats were refurbished as well as other improvements. There have been smaller projects that have taken place since 1995 to keep the building up to date and make it one of the finest performing arts halls around.

Today Heinz Hall remains the home of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and is known for its beauty and perfection as a concert hall. The sight lines are great so there isn’t a bad seat in the house. The acoustics make for a perfect evening of music and entertainment. Many famous performers have taken the stage at Heinz Hall over the years. The venue has hosted Broadway tours, speakers and of course the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra’s performances from Classical to Pops and everything in between.

If you’re planning a trip to Pittsburgh you will want to include Heinz Hall in your things to do list, you’ll be glad you did. There are plenty of parking garages in the city and public transit is free within the downtown area. So you can park pretty much anywhere and catch a ride to the venue. Pittsburgh’s light rail system stops at the Gateway Center and the Wood Street Stations and both are within easy walking distance of Heinz Hall.

If you’re planning a special event Heinz Hall is also available to rent for receptions, weddings, graduations as well as for shows.

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