McCaw Hall facts for kids
A look inside McCaw Hall in 2007.
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| Former names | Civic Auditorium (1928–1959) Seattle Opera House (1962–2001) |
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| Address | 321 Mercer Street Seattle, Washington, U.S. |
| Coordinates | 47°37′26″N 122°21′04″W / 47.624°N 122.351°W |
| Owner | City of Seattle |
| Type | Concert hall |
| Capacity | 2,963 |
| Construction | |
| Built | 1927–1928 |
| Opened | May 18, 1928 (original) April 21, 1962 June 28, 2003 |
| Renovated | 1959–1962 2002–2003 |
| Construction cost | (for 2003 renovation) US$90 million (equivalent to $140 million in 2022) |
| Website | |
| http://www.mccawhall.com | |
Marion Oliver McCaw Hall, often just called McCaw Hall, is a large building for performances in Seattle, Washington. It is located at the Seattle Center and is owned by the city.
McCaw Hall is the main home for two famous groups: the Seattle Opera and the Pacific Northwest Ballet. The building is named after Marion Oliver McCaw. Her four sons gave $20 million to help pay for a major update to the hall in 2003. Before that, it was known by other names, including the Civic Auditorium and the Seattle Opera House.
Contents
The Story of McCaw Hall
This famous hall has changed a lot over the years, getting new names and big makeovers.
From Civic Auditorium to Opera House
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The building first opened in 1928 as the Civic Auditorium. The land it was built on was a gift to the city from David Denny, one of Seattle's founders. The money to build it came from a donation and from a city fund that voters approved. For many years, it was the home of the Seattle Symphony and hosted many traveling shows.
In the late 1950s, the city decided to get the building ready for the upcoming World's Fair. After a big renovation, it reopened on the first day of the fair, April 21, 1962. It was renamed the Seattle Opera House. The opening night was a special concert with famous composer Igor Stravinsky and pianist Van Cliburn.
During the World's Fair, the Opera House was a very busy place. It hosted live TV broadcasts of The Ed Sullivan Show and many concerts and dance shows with performers from all over the world.
A year later, in 1963, the Seattle Opera company was formed and made the Opera House its home. In 1972, the Pacific Northwest Ballet was founded and also began performing there. The Seattle Symphony held its last concert in the Opera House in 1998 before moving to its new home at Benaroya Hall.
A Modern Makeover and a New Name
By the late 1990s, the Opera House needed another big update. In 1999, voters agreed to help pay for another major renovation.
The project began in 2002. A man named Craig McCaw, who was a pioneer in the cell phone industry, and his three brothers gave $20 million for the construction. To thank them for their generous gift, the city renamed the building Marion Oliver McCaw Hall, in honor of their mother.
The renovation was a huge project, costing about $90 million. The updated and renamed McCaw Hall officially opened in June 2003, ready to host amazing performances for many more years.
See also
In Spanish: Ópera de Seattle para niños
- Kreielsheimer Promenade
