Theodore Thomas Orchestra Hall
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The Theodore Thomas Orchestra Hall, built in 1904, is home to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. It was designed by D.H. Burnham & Company, starting in 1903. Construction began on May 1, 1904, and the first concert was held on December 14, 1904. The names Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, and Wagner, are inscribed above windows and balconies in the ballroom. Orchestra Hall was also used as a movie theater during the 1910s, to maintain income during the summer months, when the Chicago Symphony Orchestra would be playing at the Ravinia Festival. Lectures and other programs were held at Orchestra Hall in the 1920s and 1930s, with speakers including Harry Houdini, Richard E. Byrd, Amelia Earhart, Bertrand Russell and Orson Welles.
The building has undergone several renovations, including those in 1966 and 1981, and was expanded into part of Symphony Center between 1995 and 1997.