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The world's oldest theatre has closed. Here's where to visit instead

Athens’ Odeon of Herodes Atticus has closed for a three-year renovation, but the
show must go on, so here are nine equally notable theatres to check out in the
meantime.
Athens' Odeon of Herodes Atticus was built in AD 161.
Photograph by Mario Guti; Getty Images
ByTamara Hinson
October 17, 2025

This article was produced by National Geographic Traveller (UK).

Located at the foot of the Acropolis in the Greek capital of Athens, the Odeon of
Herodes Atticus was built in AD 161. Now that it’s closed for an extensive
restoration project, we take a look at some other esteemed theatres around the
world that are well worth a visit, from historic wonders to modern marvels.
Minamiza Theatre, Kyoto, Japan

Though the current building dates from 1929, a theatre has stood on his spot since
1610, making it Japan’s oldest playhouse. Widely regarded as the first kabuki
theatre (which uses mime and music to tell historical tales), its most spectacular
features include the beautiful Momoyama-style gabled roof and yagura (watchtower),
while the interior is an explosion of opulence, with a vermillion-hued lobby and a
coffered ceiling. Our top tip? Make a beeline for the third floor — these are the
cheapest seats, but their elevated position guarantees fantastic views.
The third floor seats might be the cheapest at Kyoto's Minamiza Theatre, yet their
elevated position guarantees fantastic views.
Photograph by Shochiku
Teatro Amazonas, Manaus, Brazil

Manaus, on the banks of the Negro River, wasn’t the easiest place to reach when
this theatre was inaugurated in 1896. Not that this concerned the architects, who
shipped its steel walls from Glasgow, its marble (used for the staircase) and
chandeliers from Italy, and 36,000 tiles (arranged to form a Brazilian flag on the
theatre’s domed roof) from France. There are countless nods to the location, too,
including the curtain, created in 1894 and adorned with an image of the Negro
River, and the wooden floor, which is made of 12,000 pieces of different Amazonian
woods slotted together (without glue). Today, the theatre hosts various events and
productions as well as an annual opera festival, and hour-long guided tours offer a
closer look at the theatre’s standout architecture.
Palacio Bellas Artes, Mexico City, Mexico

This is a theatre that defied the odds, eventually opening in 1934 after lengthy
delays caused by the Mexican Revolution and the need for extra stabilisation due to
Mexico City’s soft soil. Art nouveau on the outside, the theatre’s art deco
interior incorporates Mayan masks and murals by celebrated Mexican painter Diego
Rivera. Its pièce de résistance is its curtain, which is actually a 24-tonne panel
made from one million pieces of rainbow-hued Tiffany glass, arranged to depict
Mexico’s Popocatépetl and Iztaccíhuatl volcanoes. Today, the theatre’s a venue for
everything from operatic to orchestral performances.
Mexico City's Palacio Bellas Artes most notable feature is its curtain, made from
one million pieces of rainbow-hued Tiffany glass.
Photograph by Bruno Fauvelet
Municipal House, Prague, Czech Republic

Smetana Hall is the theatre at the heart of Municipal House, which was built in
1905 as a multipurpose venue with ceremonial halls, exhibition spaces and
restaurants. A dream team of notable Czech creatives — such as draughtsman Max
Švabinský and sculptor Ladislav Šaloun — were the innovative minds behind Prague’s
largest art nouveau building. Smetana Hall’s most opulent features include the
detailed stucco work, its stained glass and beautiful mosaics, as well as the
ornate glass dome, while sculptures inspired by Vyšehrad (a location from Czech
legends) guard the stage. You’ll be able to catch regular performances of the
classics, including the best of Mozart and Vivaldi’s Four Seasons.
Minack Theatre, Cornwall, UK

Romanesque columns? Tick. Tiered stone seating? Tick. Cornwall’s amphitheatre-style

Minack Theatre bears more than a passing resemblance to Athens’ Odeon of Herodes
Atticus theatre, despite the different settings. Carved into the granite cliffs
above Porthcurno Beach in southeastern England, Minack Theatre affords attendees
regular glimpses of dolphins in the waters beyond the sand in addition to the top-
tier productions and concerts it hosts. The theatre was the brainchild of Rowena
Cade who, in the 1920s, incorporated it into her clifftop garden and allowed the
local amateur dramatics society to stage The Tempest there. Today, there are
regular performances year-round — upcoming productions include Hamlet and The Hound
of the Baskervilles.
Although Cornwall's Minack Theatre looks much older, it's a fairly recent venue,
dating back to the 1920s.
Photograph by Steve Tanner
Citizens Opera House, Boston, US

The Citizens Opera House was designed by renowned theatre architect Thomas W Lamb
and built in 1928. Lamb was hired by vaudeville star Edward F Albee II, who wanted
a theatre that was also a memorial to his friend Benjamin Franklin Keith, and no
expense was spared — the carpets are replicas of the ones in the Library of
Congress, and there’s an abundance of Carrara marble, gold and silk. In the 1990s,
it fell into disrepair, prompting a $54m (£40m) makeover, which involved the
addition of two kilograms of gold leaf and painstaking restorations of the
theatre’s murals. Don’t have enough time to see a production? Historical tours of
the building, as well as backstage tours, give visitors the chance to learn more
about what goes on behind the scenes and are available throughout the year on a
first-come, first-served basis.
The carpets of the Citizens Opera House in Boston are replicas of the ones in the
Library of Congress.
Photograph by
Harbin Grand Theatre, Harbin, China

The inspiration for this UFO-like theatre was the untamed wilderness beyond the
city, resulting in a modern structure that appears to be shaped by both wind and
water. The lobby’s white marble flooring and curved white walls are a nod to
Harbin’s snowy winters, and the sculpture-like staircase, which twists its way to a
rooftop garden, was inspired by those who’ve trekked to the summit of China’s Five
Sacred Mountains. Somewhat cosier is the main auditorium, where undulating walls
clad with Manchurian ash and punctuated with circular seating areas were designed
to resemble a slowly eroding block of wood.
Steinmetz Hall, Orlando, US

Highlights at this Orlando theatre include the polished copper handrails and the
cherrywood trims, but there’s more to the decor than meets the eye — every aspect,
from the materials to the shape of the seats, enhances the sound. The Steinmetz
Hall, part of the Dr Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, ‘floats’ on 400
rubber pads, and it’s one of the world’s most acoustically advanced theatres,
designed to achieve an N1 acoustic rating — the lowest level at which humans can
detect sound. As for the best seat in the house? “It’s the Grand Tier,” says
Spencer Tong, the theatre’s executive vice president. “You’ll experience the
acoustics at their very best. The reverberation and richness converge into a sound
that feels truly alive.”
The Burgtheater, Vienna, Austria

The neo-renaissance Burgtheatre, built in 1888, is famous for its baroque facade,
although its interior is even more opulent, with sculptures of Apollo and Bacchus
alongside Shakespeare and Goethe. There are several paintings by Gustav Klimt,
including the Austrian artist’s only surviving self-portrait. It was one of the
world’s first theatres with electric lighting, although this wasn’t the only
groundbreaking innovation. “My favourite bit is the ventilation and heating system,
which was integral to the building's design from the outset,” says manager Robert
Beutler. “It pulls air from the nearby rose garden via a subterranean tunnel and
distributes it through the central foot of each seat into the auditorium. The used
air leaves via the crystal chandelier (fitted with a brass grating) beneath the
domed roof.”
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Related Topics

ARCHITECTURE
THEATER
PERFORMING ARTS
LIVING HISTORY

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