Seattle Civic Auditorium (1928 - 1958) and McCaw Hall

Completed in 1928, Seattle’s Civic Auditorium was designed in a Romanesque Revival style and dedicated by the city’s only female mayor, Bertha K. Landes. The auditorium hosted symphony concerts and performances by the San Francisco Opera, featuring musical stars such as the opera singer, Marian Anderson. In the late 1950s, a civic bond issue was passed to upgrade the venue in preparation for the 1962 World’s Fair. Demolition of the Civic Auditorium commenced in 1958, with only the Romanesque Revival facade preserved. In 1962, the venue reopened with enhanced acoustics, becoming the main stage for the Seattle Opera, the city's own premiere opera company. In 2003, a $127 million renovation of the 1962 Seattle Opera House once again transformed the site, this time into a state-of-the-art venue fit for the 21st century. Renamed McCaw Hall, the venue currently features 150 annual performances by the Seattle Opera and the Pacific Northwest Ballet Company.

With great fanfare, the Seattle Civic Auditorium was dedicated in 1928 by the city’s only female mayor, Bertha K. Landes. During the next three decades, this auditorium provided a venue for performances by the San Francisco Opera and by stars such as Marian Anderson, Danny Kaye, and Arthur Rubenstein. In the late 1950s, a civic bond issue was passed to redevelop the auditorium as an event venue for the 1962 World’s Fair, which was also known as the Century 21 Exposition and featured a futuristic Space Age theme. The cavernous auditorium was demolished in preparation for the event, with only the Romanesque Revival façade preserved. Reopening in 1962 with enhanced acoustics, the new Seattle Opera House became the premiere performance venue for the city’s own opera company.

In the early 2000s, another renovation once again updated the site. This time, the Seattle Opera House was fully reimagined as a venue fit for the 21st century, with the latest technology. The state-of-the-art, $127 million renovation reflected a transformation of the old Civic Auditorium and the 1962 Opera House into a world-class arts and entertainment venue. Renamed the Marion Oliver McCaw Hall, the site reopened in 2003. Thereafter, McCaw Hall became the main stage not only for the Seattle Opera, but also for the Pacific Northwest Ballet. In addition, the site began to host theatrical productions, festivals, lectures, and community events sponsored by other regional arts organizations, corporations, and non-profits.

Today, McCaw Hall includes the 2900-seat Susan Brotman Auditorium, the 380-seat Nesholm Family Lecture Hall, the Prelude Café, and a 17,800 square-foot plaza known as the Kreielsheimer Promenade. A five-story glass wall allows passers-by to view the interior of the elegant lobby, where theatergoers can gather during intermission, as well as before and after performances. Located on the grounds of the Seattle Center Campus, McCaw Hall is currently owned by the City of Seattle and operated by the Seattle Center. Along with musical concerts and community-wide events, the venue is used for 150 annual performances by the Seattle Opera and the Pacific Northwest Ballet.

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