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Napoleon LeBrun built the Academy of Music in 1857, modeling its lavish interior on La Scala Opera House in Milan.
Philadelphia’s most revered performing space is an elegant socialite outside, with a discreet brick and gaslit-façade; inside, it’s a prima donna done up in scarlet with gold caryatids and a 5,000-pound crystal chandelier.
The oldest known opera house continuously in use in the U.S., the Academy is home to the Opera Company of Philadelphia and the Philadelphia Ballet and is part of Ensemble Arts.
For more than a century, its most famous resident was the Philadelphia Orchestra, which returns every January to play the Academy Anniversary Concert and Ball.
The Academy's lavish interior is modeled after La Scala Opera House in Milan.
Momentous occasions have happened at the Academy of Music, which is a designated National Historic Landmark. In 1872, President Ulysses S. Grant was nominated for his second term here; four years later (1876), Richard Wagner’s “The Flying Dutchman” had its first U.S. performance.
John Phillip Sousa introduced his “The Stars and Stripes Forever” here, Philadelphian Jeannette MacDonald made her debut at age 6, Leopold Stokowski introduced Gustav Mahler’s “Symphony of a Thousand,” and Igor Stravinky’s “The Rite of Spring” was staged with Martha Graham dancing.
Ushers are among the Academy and the Philadelphia Orchestra’s most knowledgeable fans, and they welcome questions. One-hour tours of the Academy are also available with an advance reservation.
The Philadelphia Ballet’s Nutcracker is a must-see for children at Christmas.
It’s Philly’s biggest year yet!
Make the most of it by booking the Visit Philly Overnight Package, which comes with free hotel parking and complimentary tickets to some of the most popular attractions in each of Greater Philadelphia’s five counties including Universal Theme Parks: The Exhibition at The Franklin Institute, the Mercer Museum in Bucks County, Longwood Gardens in Chester County, the Brandywine Museum of Art in Delaware County and Elmwood Park Zoo in Montgomery County.
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