Boston Opera House

Small and splendid, this rococo building near the heart of Downtown Crossing has an elegance that belies a checkered past. It opened in 1928 as the B.F. Keith Memorial Theatre, part of the significant Keith-Albee chain, and was designed by Thomas Lamb, a prominent cinema architect. For over 20 years, it thrived as a cinema, but only just survived the Combat Zone era, when it became an adults-only theater. It fell into horrendous disrepair, but with the help of Senator Edward Kennedy, was renovated and reopened in 2004 with its baroque décor of fairytale white terra cotta, gilded moldings, and crystal chandeliers gleaming anew. The Opera House is the Boston Ballet’s home venue and also features top Broadway musicals, as well as big name musical artists. On a practical note, the lobby has a bar, as does the basement lounge.