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Heinz Hall

By , About.com Guide

A beautiful jewel in the downtown Pittsburgh Cultural District, Heinz Hall is home to the Pittsburgh Symphony, and also hosts some of the shows in the Pittsburgh Broadway Series, along with national touring attractions.

>> Upcoming Events at Heinz Hall

Heinz Hall was originally the Loew's Penn Theater, built in 1927 as an opulent movie house, and regarded as the most magnificent theater between New York and Chicago. The Loew's Penn Theater closed its doors for good in 1964, scheduled for demolition. John Heinz II and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra saw promise in the grand, but aging building, and undertook a 3-year, $10 million reconstruction. On September 10, 1971, the building reopened as the Heinz Hall for the Performing Arts.

Heinz Hall Facts:

  • On September 6, 1927, Loew's Penn Theater opened, one night later than planned due to movie magnate Marcus Loew's untimely death on the originally scheduled Grand Opening Night. Forty-four years later, on September 10, 1971, it reopened as Heinz Hall for the Performing Arts after a three-year, $10 million restoration.

  • The gold detailing throughout Heinz Hall is 24-karat gold leaf and took two craftsmen from the A. J. Vater Company more than 18 months to complete.

  • The two spectacular 15-foot chandeliers in the Heinz Hall Grand Lobby were part of the original theater. Each chandelier weighs more than one ton and is lowered by hand for cleaning once a year. The crystals on all of the chandeliers at Heinz Hall were imported from Vienna, Austria.
  • Water for the Garden Plaza waterfall and water sculpture at Heinz Hall is supplied from an underground aquifer - the same aquifer that supplies water to the fountain at Point State Park, ll the water to the H. J. Heinz Company and several office buildings. This "fourth" river has no name and is a remant of the Wisconsin Glacier.

  • Heinz Hall was named in honor of H. J. Heinz II (father of late Senator John Heinz III)
  • Heinz Hall Essentials:

    Heinz Hall Directions
    Heinz Hall Seating Chart
    Cultural District Parking Lots & Garages

    Heinz Hall for the Performing Arts


    600 Penn Ave
    Pittsburgh, PA 15222
    (412) 392-4900
    www.pittsburghsymphony.org

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