Miller Symphony Hall

Miller Symphony Hall occupies a beaux arts theatre in downtown Allentown, Pennsylvania, originally built in the 1800s as a central marketplace before architect J.B. McElfatrick converted it into the Lyric Theatre in 1899. It is one of only about a dozen surviving theatres from McElfatrick's roughly 200 beaux arts designs, and its stage has hosted performers including Bob Hope, Johnny Mathis, and Tony Bennett. The Allentown Symphony Association purchased the hall in 1959 and, with support from the Miller family, has invested $12 million in renovations to preserve the pre-1900s building, which was renamed in the family's honor in 2012. Today it remains the permanent home of the Allentown Symphony Orchestra. The hall offers several private event spaces suited to different gatherings. The Performance Hall, with its three tiers of historic seating and full stage, accommodates up to 1,132 guests for large-scale performances, weddings, corporate meetings, and fundraisers. The Rodale Community Room, on the third floor with elevator access, seats up to 200 beneath high-arched Palladian windows and features an adjacent full kitchen, making it a fit for wedding receptions and intimate concerts. The Lyric Room, a light-filled space added in 2016 with floor-to-ceiling windows facing 6th Street and its own private entrance, holds up to 75 guests for smaller receptions and meetings. Nearby, the Allentown Arts Park and Arts Walk offer additional space for outdoor photography.