HEIRLOOM ARTS THEATRE

Heirloom Arts Theatre is a 300-capacity all-ages, no-alcohol performance venue at 155 Main Street in downtown Danbury. The space operates as a dedicated music and arts venue hosting live concerts, visual art showcases, and film screenings. The all-ages, substance-free policy makes it accessible to younger audiences and distinguishes it from bar-based music venues in the region.

Programming focuses on hardcore, metal, indie, emo, and punk genres, along with experimental and underground acts. The venue also hosts motion picture screenings and visual art exhibitions. The DIY ethos and all-ages policy attract a passionate community of younger music fans and touring underground artists.

The building dates to approximately 1850 and originally opened as a vaudeville venue called the Princess Theatre. It was renamed the Empress Theatre in time to host a preview of D.W. Griffith's film "America" in 1924. The space later became a Warner Bros. movie theater, closed around 1969, and was converted to a tire warehouse. In 2000, it was renovated as the Empress Ballroom, an all-ages venue. In 2012, it became the Heirloom Arts Theatre, continuing the building's long tradition of music and performing arts.