archie
Sign in Get the app

Valentine Theatre

Style
Tudor Revival
City
Toledo, OH
See it on the map

The Valentine Theatre stands at the corner of Superior and Adams Streets in downtown Toledo and seats 901. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places on May 19, 1987, it underwent a $28 million renovation led by architect Charles H. Stark, begun in 1978 and taking 21 years to complete before unveiling on October 9, 1999. It now hosts resident companies including the Toledo Symphony Orchestra, Toledo Opera, and Toledo Ballet.

the building

The Toledo Society for the Blind. From 1925 to about 1928, the Toledo Society for the Blind (now the Sight Center of Northwest Ohio) rented space in the building, where a donated piano and victrola let them start a dancing class.

The 21-year renovation. A $28 million restoration by architect Charles H. Stark began in 1978 and took 21 years, unveiling on October 9, 1999 — one of the longest-running renovation efforts recorded for the building.

The 2007 gas explosion. On November 23, 2007, a natural gas explosion in the basement caused extensive damage and forced evacuation of the adjoining Renaissance Senior Apartments. The theater reopened in April 2008 after $3.5 million in repairs.

the style

The theatre is identified as Tudor Revival architecture, giving its facade a distinctive half-timbered, medieval-inflected character uncommon among downtown Toledo theatres.

More on Tudor Revival

the architect

The building's landmark renovation, spanning 21 years and $28 million, was carried out by architect Charles H. Stark, though the original design architect is not documented here.

significance

The Valentine Theatre was added to the National Register of Historic Places on May 19, 1987. It survived a 2007 natural gas explosion and today serves as the home stage for the Toledo Symphony Orchestra, Toledo Opera, Toledo Ballet, Toledo Jazz Society, Toledo Jazz Orchestra, Toledo Masterworks Chorale, and Toledo Repertory Theatre.

nearby

All 19 buildings in Toledo