Look up at the Venetian Gothic towers of Cincinnati Music Hall at 1241 Elm Street, across from Washington Park in Over-the-Rhine. Completed in 1878, this is the home of the Cincinnati Ballet, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Opera, the May Festival Chorus, and the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra. Imagine how it was designed with a dual purpose: musical life in the central auditorium and industrial exhibitions in the side wings — a practical, civic ambition carved in stone.
In January 1975 it earned recognition as a National Historic Landmark from the U.S. Department of the Interior for that distinctive Venetian Gothic architecture. The hall has welcomed not only classical greats but also pop and rock recording artists, and over time its story deepened: it was built over a pauper's cemetery, a fact that has helped fuel its reputation as one of the most haunted places in America. In June 2014 it landed on the National Trust's list of America's 11 most endangered historic places, then closed for over a year for a $143 million renovation before reopening in 2017.
Those Venetian Gothic flourishes across from Washington Park have hosted the Ballet, Symphony, Opera, and Pops for you to enjoy.