The following is a partial list of former theatres in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It includes multi-purpose public spaces that functioned at least in part as venues for theatrical performances, including vaudeville. Most venues also served at one time or another as concert halls, lecture halls, meeting spaces, etc. Some operated as dime museums, and some as motion picture houses. Some of the buildings that formerly housed theatres have survived to the present day. However, most of the buildings no longer exist.

Former theatres in Boston

Name Year established Year closed Location Notes Image Adelphi Theatre 19th century Washington Street Alhambra 1878 Allston Hall 19th century Tremont Street Allston Theatre 20th century Brighton Avenue Apollo Theatre 20th century Washington Street The Arena 19th century Chandler Street Arlington Theatre 20th century Tremont Street Austin and Stone's Dime Museum 1883 Tremont Row Austin's Nickelodeon 1888 1891 circa Court Street Barnum's Aquarial Gardens 1862 1863 Washington Street Beach Street Theatre 19th century Beacon Theatre 20th century Tremont Street Beethoven Hall 1874 1878 Washington Street Bijou 1882 1943 Washington Street Board Alley Theatre 1792 1793 Hawley Street Boston Aquarial and Zoological Gardens 1860 1862 Central Court Boston Arena 20th century Street Botolph Street Boston Hippodrome 20th century Tremont Street Boston Museum 1841 1903 Tremont Street Boston Olympic Theatre 1845 Court Street Boston Opera House 1909 Huntington Avenue Boston Theatre 1854 1925 Washington Street Bowdoin Square Theatre 19th century Bowdoin Square Bowdoin Theatre 1858 circa Boylston Hall 1810 1887 Boylston and Washington Streets Boylston Museum 1875 1885 667 Washington St at the corner of Boylston and Washington streets. Founded by George E. Lothrop in 1875. Opened May 1875 as the Boyston Museum, both a variety theatre and dime museum. Later known as the Star Novelty Theatre at the New Boylston Museum. Lothrop acquired the 661, 663, and 665 Washington St properties, and the theatre and museum were substantially expanded into the new World's Museum (1885-1892); also a theatre and dime museum. Buckley's Minstrel Hall 1863 Corner of Summer and Chauncey StreetsAKA Buckley's New Minstrel Hall and Aquarial Gardens. AKA Buckley's Serenaders Casino Theatre 19th century Hanover Street Casino Theatre 1909 Castle Square Theatre 1894 1932 Tremont Street Chickering Hall 1883 1890s Tremont Street Chickering Hall 1901 1912 Huntington Avenue Cobb Theatre 20th century Washington Street Columbia Theatre 1891 1957 circa Washington Street Columbian Museum 1795 1825 Tremont Street Concert Hall 1752 1869 Hanover Street Continental Theatre 1860s Washington Street Copley Theater 20th century Dartmouth Street Cort Theatre 1914 1915 Park Square Donnelly TheatreMarch 12, 19221968205 Mass. Ave.formerly Back Bay Theatre, Jimi Hendrix may have played here with Little Richard's band Dudley Street Opera House 19th century Dudley Street Dudley Theatre 20th century Washington Street Eagle Theatre 1840s Haverhill and Traverse Streets Eagle Theatre 20th century Washington Street Egleston Theatre 20th century Washington Street Everett Square Theatre 20th century Fairmount Avenue Exeter Street Theatre 1914 1984 Exeter Street Faneuil Hall 18th century Federal Street Theatre 1794 1852 Federal Street Fenway Theatre 20th century Massachusetts Avenue Forest Garden 1879 circa Roxbury Franklin Park Theatre 20th century Blue Hill Avenue Gaiety Theatre 1878 1882 Washington Street Became the Bijou Theatre Gaiety Theatre 1908 1949 Washington Street Gem Theatre 20th century Meridian Street Germania Theatre 1876 Globe Theatre 1871 1894 Washington Street Globe Theatre 1903 Washington Street Gordon's Old South 20th century Washington Street, near Milk Street Gordon's Olympia Theatre 20th century Washington Street Grand Dime Museum 19th century Dover Street Grand Museum 19th century Dover Street and Washington Street Grand Opera House 1888 1930s Washington Street Grand Theatre 1896 Gray's Opera House 1878 Halleck's Alhambra 1880 City Point Harmony Hall 19th century 724 Washington Street Harrington's Museum 1840 1842 Court Street Haymarket Theatre 1796 1803 Tremont Street Hollis Street Theatre 1885 1935 Hollis Street Horticultural Hall 1845 1860 School Street Howard Athenaeum 1845 1953 Howard Street Huntington Avenue Theatre 20th century Huntington Avenue Ideal Theatre 20th century Dudley Street Jane English's New Tremont Theatre 19th century Tremont Street Keith and Bacheller's New York Dime Museum 1883 Keith's Theatre 1894 Washington Street Keith-Albee Boston Theatre 1920s Washington Street Lancaster Theatre 20th century Lancaster Street Lion Theatre 1836 1839 Washington Street Became the Melodeon Lothrop's Grand Museum 19th century Dover Street Lyceum Theatre 1892 Washington Street Magnet Theatre 20th century Washington Street Melodeon 1839 1878 Washington Street Became the Gaiety Theatre Metropolitan Theatre 1925 Tremont Street See Wang Theatre National Theatre 1836 1863 Portland Street, West End National Theatre 1911 1978 Tremont Street, South End New Dime Museum 1882 New England Museum 1818 1840 circa Court Street Nickelodeon 20th century Hanover Street Nickelodeon Musee and Parlor Theatre 1894 Hanover Street Novelty Theatre 19th century Dover Street Oakland Garden 1879 circa Roxbury Ocean Garden 1880 Olympic Saloon 1841 Ordway Hall 1852 Washington Street P. T. Barnum's Museum and Aquarial Gardens 19th century Washington Street Palace Theatre 19th century Court Street Palais Royal 1878 Park Garden 1879 Park Square Theatre 1915 1921 Park Square Park Theatre 1879 Washington Street Plymouth Theatre 1911 1957 Stuart Street Pompeiian Amphitheater 19th century Huntington Avenue Puritan Theatre 1905 circa 1960s Washington Street RKO-Boston 1930s 1950s Washington Street, corner Essex Street Scenic Temple 20th century Berkeley Street and Warren Avenue School-Street Opera House 19th century School Street Scollay Square Olympia Theatre 20th century Scollay Theatre 1913 1962 Tremont Row Seville Theatre 1930 circa 1970 circa East Boston Siege of Paris Opera House 1879 Selwyn's Theatre 1867 1870 Washington Street Selwyn Theatre 1921 Park Square Shawmut Theatre 20th century Blue Hill Avenue St. James 20th century Huntington Avenue Star Theatre 20th century Tremont Row St. James Theatre 19th century Washington Street Suffolk Drive-In 1955 circa 1970 circa East Boston Superb Theatre 20th century Columbus Avenue Theatre Comique 1860s Washington Street Theatre Comique 1906 Tremont Row Toy Theatre 1914 Dartmouth Street Tremont Theatre 1827 Tremont Street Tremont Theatre, Studio Building 1860s Tremont Street Tremont Theatre 1889 Tremont Street Union's Opera House 1879 Unique Theatre 20th century Washington Street Vaudeville Saloon 1840 Waldron's Casino 20th century Hanover Street Washington Gardens 19th century Common Street Washington Hall 1833 Washington Street Washington Theatre 20th century Washington Street Washingtonian Hall 1842 Court Street Williams Hall 1855 circa Washington Street Windsor Theatre 1881 circa Dover Street World's Museum 1885 1892 661-667 Washington Street The successor to the theatre and dime museum Boylston Museum which existed at 667 Washington St. The adjacent properties were purchased by the Boylston Museum's owner, George E. Lothrop, for the purposes of expanding both the theatre and museum. The newly expanded enterprise opened as the World's Museum on November 9, 1885. It is also known as the World's Theatre. It was sold and became the Lyceum Theatre in 1892. The Zoo 1896 Boylston Street

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