Academy of Music

The hall was built in 1855–57 and is the oldest opera house in the United States that is still used for its original purpose. Known as the “Grand Old Lady of Locust Street,” the venue is the home of the Philadelphia Ballet and Opera Philadelphia. It was a ... lso home to the Philadelphia Orchestra from its inception in 1900 until 2001, when the orchestra moved to the new Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts. The Philadelphia Orchestra still retains ownership of the Academy. The hall was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1962.