Academy of Music Philadelphia

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Location: 240 S Broad St, Philadelphia

Opened in 1857, Philadelphia's Academy of Music is the oldest "grand opera house" in the United States that's still used for that purpose. Though it looks plain from the outside, the Academy of Music's interior is as opulent as some of Europe's finest concert halls. Decorated in red velvet and featuring a 50 foot, 5,000 pound crystal chandelier, the academy was the epitome of elegance.

The first audience at the Academy of Music in February of 1857 were treated to Verdi's opera, Il Trovatore. For decades, the building played host to the world-renowned Philadelphia Orchestra and its many fine conductors including Leopold Stokowski and Eugene Ormandy. Today, the orchestra calls the Kimmel Center its home, but the Academy still plays host to the Opera Company of Philadelphia, the Pennsylvania Ballet, a number of various concert artists, and a wonderful series called "Broadway at the Academy", which brings New York's top shows to Philadelphia.

Even the basement of the Academy of Music has a rich history, serving as "The Stage Door Canteen" during World War II and provided refreshment and entertainment for more than 2 million servicemen and women during the three years that it was in existence. Such greats as Frank Sinatra, Abbott and Costello, Duke Ellington, and Gertrude Lawrence appeared at the Canteen.