On the corner of 6th and Court Streets in downtown Allentown, there is a building that has been in the business of live performance since 1899. Miller Symphony Hall has seen vaudeville, opera, minstrel shows, symphonies, rock concerts, and comedy acts pass across its stage. Through all of it, this 1,200 seat venue has remained the beating heart of Allentown's cultural scene.
From Farmer's Market to Concert Hall
The building's story begins in 1817 as a farmer's market on Center Square. In 1896, a new Central Market was built at the northeast corner of 6th and Court. Just three years later, architect J.B. McElfatrick converted it into a theater called The Lyric, which opened with comic opera and quickly became a hub for vaudeville and live entertainment.
In the late 1940s, the Allentown Symphony Orchestra made the building its home. The Miller family, who also owned The Morning Call newspaper, proposed purchasing the building for the orchestra in 1959. That act of generosity gave the symphony something most orchestras its size only dream about: a permanent home. The building was renamed Miller Symphony Hall in 2012 in honor of the family's legacy.
The Smallest Orchestra With Its Own Hall
Here is a fact that catches people off guard: the Allentown Symphony Orchestra is the smallest symphony orchestra in the United States to own its own performance hall. That distinction speaks to something fundamental about this community's commitment to the arts. A major renovation in 2006 upgraded the seating, lobby, acoustical shell, rehearsal spaces, and dressing rooms, ensuring the hall would serve the next generation of musicians and audiences.
Still Going Strong
The 2024/25 season marked the music director's 30th year while the hall simultaneously celebrated 125 years as a performance venue. Beyond the symphony season, Miller Symphony Hall hosts touring concerts, comedy, and other live entertainment. It is the kind of venue where you can see a world-class orchestra one weekend and a nationally touring comedian the next. After 125 years, it shows no signs of slowing down.
