THE HANOVER THEATRE

The Hanover Theatre is a 2,300-seat performing arts venue at 2 Southbridge Street in Worcester, Massachusetts. The theater features a restored interior originally designed by Thomas W. Lamb in 1926, when it was expanded and transformed into a movie palace. It is the largest venue of its kind in central New England.

The Hanover Theatre hosts touring Broadway productions, concerts, comedy, dance, family shows, and educational programming through its attached conservatory. Since opening, the theater has entertained more than 2.3 million audience members. It serves as a regional anchor for downtown Worcester's cultural district.

The building was originally constructed in 1904 as the Franklin Square Theatre, designed by Cutting, Carleton & Cutting for developer Ramsom C. Taylor. In 1912, vaudeville magnate Sylvester Poli purchased it and renamed it The Grand. After decades of decline, ownership transferred to the nonprofit Worcester Center for the Performing Arts in 2002, and the theater reopened in March 2008 as The Hanover Theatre, named after sponsor Hanover Insurance.