Worcester Memorial Auditorium
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Worcester Memorial Auditorium (also known simply as "the Aud") is a multi-purpose
arena An arena is a large enclosed venue, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theatre, Music, musical performances or Sport, sporting events. It comprises a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for specta ...
located at Lincoln Square in Worcester,
Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...
. It was built in 1933 to honor Worcester citizens who fought in
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
. The building includes a multi-purpose auditorium originally designed to seat 3,500–4,500 people, a smaller entertainment space known as the Little Theater designed to seat 675, and the Shrine of the Immortal, a
war memorial A war memorial is a building, monument, statue, or other edifice to celebrate a war or victory, or (predominating in modern times) to commemorate those who died or were injured in a war. Symbolism Historical usage It has ...
with murals by Leon Kroll commemorating the 355 soldiers and nurses from Worcester who fell during
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
. The Aud was added to the
National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...
in 1980 as part of the Institutional District. In 2009, Preservation Massachusetts included Lincoln Square on its "Most Endangered Historic Resources" list, because the square's three historic buildings – the Aud, the old Worcester County Courthouse, and the Lincoln Square Boys Club – were all empty or underutilized.


History

At the end of
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, Worcester's leading citizens decided to construct a public auditorium to commemorate the 355 local residents who lost their lives during the conflict, and more generally to honor the sacrifices of Worcester residents in times of war. It took more than a decade to secure land for the building. When the original plans to construct an auditorium on the
Common Common may refer to: As an Irish surname, it is anglicised from Irish Gaelic surname Ó Comáin. Places * Common, a townland in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland * Boston Common, a central public park in Boston, Massachusetts * Cambridge Com ...
fell through, the present location at Lincoln Square was selected instead. Construction began in 1931 and was completed in 1933 at a cost of $2 million. A dedication ceremony took place on September 26, 1933, during which the Aud was declared "an enduring tribute to those whose sacrifice was sublime, a majestic memorial for the use and benefit of many generations". Throughout the twentieth century, the Aud served as the center of Worcester's civic and cultural life. Concerts, basketball games, high school and college graduations, fundraisers, and election day polling all took place in the main hall. Before the Hart Center opened in 1975, the building was home to both the Bay State Bombardiers of the
Continental Basketball Association The Continental Basketball Association (CBA), originally known as the Eastern Pennsylvania Basketball League, and later as the Eastern Professional Basketball League and the Eastern Basketball Association, was a men's professional basketball m ...
and the Holy Cross Crusaders, whose young star,
Bob Cousy Robert Joseph Cousy ( , born August 9, 1928) is an American former professional basketball player. He played point guard for the Boston Celtics from 1950 to 1963, and briefly with the Cincinnati Royals during the 1969–70 season. A 13-time NBA ...
, played often on the auditorium court. The hall hosted
Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan; born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Described as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture over his nearly 70-year ...
's
Rolling Thunder Revue The Rolling Thunder Revue was a 1975–76 concert tour by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan with numerous musicians and collaborators. The purpose of the tour was to allow Dylan, who was a major recording artist and concert performer, to play ...
as well as many other performers, including
Louis Armstrong Louis Daniel Armstrong (August 4, 1901 – July 6, 1971), nicknamed "Satchmo", "Satch", and "Pops", was an American trumpeter and vocalist. He was among the most influential figures in jazz. His career spanned five decades and several era ...
,
B.B. King Riley B. King (September 16, 1925 – May 14, 2015), known professionally as B.B. King, was an American blues guitarist, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He introduced a sophisticated style of soloing based on fluid string bending, sh ...
, and the
Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for over six decades, they are one of the most popular, influential, and enduring bands of the Album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the band pione ...
. In 2011, the band
Phish Phish is an American rock band formed in Burlington, Vermont, in 1983. The band consists of guitarist Trey Anastasio, bassist Mike Gordon, drummer Jon Fishman, and keyboardist Page McConnell, all of whom perform vocals, with Anastasio being the ...
released an album of their 1991 concert at the Aud. The Aud even served as a shelter after the Worcester tornado hit. With the construction of modern athletics and performance venues in Worcester, the Aud ceased to be a vital cultural center. At the turn of the twenty-first century, the basement was used briefly as a juvenile court, and the auditorium as storage for Massachusetts State Trial Court records, but the rest of the building fell into disrepair. The Aud has been vacant since 2008. Occasional organ performances took place through 2016, until a burst pipe the following winter caused significant damage to the auditorium floor and rendered the space unfit for public use. The building is now used for S.W.A.T. training.


Sale to AHF

In 2016, the City of Worcester engaged the Boston-based Architectural Heritage Foundation (AHF) to conduct a feasibility study of the Aud. AHF submitted its final report in February 2019, which recommended that the building become a center for digital innovation, entertainment, entrepreneurship, and the arts. In May 2019, the '' Worcester Telegram & Gazette'' revealed that the City of Worcester had authorized the sale of the Aud to the Architectural Heritage Foundation (AHF). Under the pending agreement, AHF would purchase the property for $450,000 by June 2021 and subsequently undertake a $94 million project to redevelop the building as an educational and cultural center connected to the digital economy. These plans include the preservation of the exterior facades, Shrine of the Immortal murals, Kimball pipe organ, and lobby. The auditorium would be outfitted for competitive gaming,
esports Esports (), short for electronic sports, is a form of competition using video games. Esports often takes the form of organized, multiplayer video game competitions, particularly between professional players, played individually or as teams. ...
competitions, and performances; the Little Theatre converted into an
IMAX IMAX is a proprietary system of High-definition video, high-resolution cameras, film formats, film projectors, and movie theater, theaters known for having very large screens with a tall aspect ratio (image), aspect ratio (approximately ei ...
-style venue suitable for entertainment and educational events by local institutions; the memorial hall rehabilitated as a high-quality restaurant; and the other interior spaces redeveloped as digital innovation labs, green rooms, game rooms, lounges, and offices. In May 2025, Massachusetts Governor
Maura Healey Maura Tracy Healey (born February 8, 1971) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the 73rd governor of Massachusetts since 2023. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, she served as Massachusetts Attorney Ge ...
announced a $25 million match commitment to the AHF to assist in its restoration and redevelopment efforts. The governor's press release expressed the hope that the grant will "spark others to step up and provide the full financing necessary to make this project a reality."


Architecture

The Aud was designed by Frederic C. Hirons of New York and L.W. Briggs Company of Worcester in the
Classical Revival Neoclassicism, also spelled Neo-classicism, emerged as a Western cultural movement in the decorative and visual arts, literature, theatre, music, and architecture that drew inspiration from the art and culture of classical antiquity. Neoclassic ...
style, with an
Art Deco Art Deco, short for the French (), is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design that first Art Deco in Paris, appeared in Paris in the 1910s just before World War I and flourished in the United States and Europe during the 1920 ...
-inspired interior and
bas-relief Relief is a sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces remain attached to a solid background of the same material. The term ''relief'' is from the Latin verb , to raise (). To create a sculpture in relief is to give the impression that th ...
ornamentation. It was constructed of Deer Island granite, Indiana limestone, and marble. Fronting Lincoln Square are five large bronze doors and eight monumental Doric columns, above which is inscribed, "To honor the services in war of her sons and daughters and to nourish in peace their spirit of sacrifice, a grateful city erected this building." The Aud is five stories high and contains five architectural zones: the auditorium (which contains a
proscenium A proscenium (, ) is the virtual vertical plane of space in a theatre, usually surrounded on the top and sides by a physical proscenium arch (whether or not truly "arched") and on the bottom by the stage floor itself, which serves as the frame ...
116 feet wide), the Shrine of the Immortal war memorial, the Little Theater, the north and south-wing chambers, and the basement.


Murals

Artist Leon Kroll created the Shrine of the Immortal murals, which took three years to complete between 1938 and 1941. Two depict U.S. Army and Navy soldiers in scenes of combat during WWI, while the third and largest depicts a soldier ascending to Heaven surrounded by "people of all classes and races gathered in peace and harmony under the American flag." When completed, this mural was the largest of its kind in the United States.What's to become of the Aud? Worcester Telegram & Gazette. September 20, 2009


Kimball Pipe Organ

In 1933, a Kimball pipe organ containing 6,853 pipes was installed in the auditorium. The console sits on a hydraulic elevator, which historically enabled the console to be raised or lowered between the stage, the auditorium floor, and one level below. The organ has never been altered, and was the centerpiece of a "pipe organ festival" in October 2016.


Popular culture

In 2013, a scene for the film '' American Hustle'' was filmed in the Aud. In 2018, the Aud was transformed into a bank for the Liam Neeson film '' Honest Thief''.


References


External links


Worcester AudWorcester Memorial Auditorium
{{Coord, 42.27176, -71.800965, display=t, type:landmark Defunct college basketball venues in the United States Sports venues in Worcester, Massachusetts Defunct sports venues in Massachusetts Event venues on the National Register of Historic Places in Massachusetts National Register of Historic Places in Worcester County, Massachusetts College basketball venues in Massachusetts Sports venues completed in 1933 1933 establishments in Massachusetts