Albany Municipal Auditorium

The Albany Municipal Auditorium is a multi-purpose auditorium located in downtown Albany, Georgia, U.S. The 965-seat, classic style auditorium includes an orchestra level, as well as first and second balconies and it was listed as "Municipal Auditorium" on the National Register of Historic Places by the United States Department of the Interior in 1975. The auditorium is part of a sports, entertainment and convention complex that also includes the Albany Civic Center and the Veterans Park Amphitheater.HistoryDesigned by architect A. Ten Eyck Brown, the Albany Municipal Auditorium was built in 1915 to replace an old wooden auditorium used for Chautauqua programs. The auditorium was host to many talents of the music world, the stage and television, including an Irving Berlin musical road show in the 1920s. In the 1950s and 1960s, telethons were held in the auditorium. These telethons attracted Hollywood stars to Albany, including most of the cast of Bonanza, Wagon Train, The Virginian and even starlet Jayne Mansfield. The auditorium was abandon in 1972 and stood vacant for years. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on June 25, 1974. Restoration of the auditorium started in 1986. In 1990, the Albany Symphony Orchestra reopened the renovated auditorium, performing a Gala Concert with Albany native Ray Charles.