The Grand Opera House

I love seeing a show here. The acoustics are amazing. The staff is unbelievably friendly. We've seen Chris Botti, Esperanza Spalding, Trombone Shorty, Get the Led Out and others.

Really nice old style opera house style theater with good views , from what I could see, for most seating. The sound for Melissa Etheridge was excellent, as it was clear and loud enough, better than some theaters where you still hear people talking and yelling. One negative that I noticed was that the staff were quite rude, sometimes downright nasty and a bit anal to a good percentage of patrons. The way they talked to people and the way they stood in your view of the stage was really disappointing. Maybe they just have a problem with the LGBT community, which in my eyes is unacceptable. Everyone was there to have a great time and no one should be talked to like that. Sorry about the poor quality photos, my phone is old and slow, unlike me. 🤣🤣🤣

The Delaware Rock & Roll Induction Ceremony 2025 was a wonderful experience at the Baby Grand. All the staff I dealt with were excellent!

We went to see Opera Delaware's world premiere of the opera "Fearless" here and loved both the performance as well as the opera house. We're lucky to have an elegant, beautiful opera house in Delaware. It was a Sunday performance so we were able to easily find street parking, but there are garages nearby as well.

Worst place ever to see a concert!!! We were told to sit down at the seats that we paid for! If u don't want anybody in front of u dancing, then stay home and watch the concert on TV. Unless it's a rule at the opera house, then the ushers shouldn't be able to tell u to sit down. My hb and I go to many concerts, and we have never been told to sit down by a usher!!! I felt like we were at a nursing home event! Don't bother coming here bc it's a waste of time and money! They should refund our 3 seats for the George Thorogood concert!

Most of the seats on the second floor have an obstruction. There is a speaker hanging down on the other side of the stage blocking the view otherwise it was beautiful.

Saw the circus acrobats. It was a sensory show on a Saturday afternoon. Not too crowded. Entertainment was awesome. I don’t think there is a bad seat in Clayton Hall. The building itself is architecturally amazing. My mom shared a memory of running around the balcony back in the 60s when it was a movie theater. Interesting history.

Attended the Fearless: The Taylor Swift Experience. The show was great! I’ve lived here 25+ years and this was the first time attending an event here. The employees were super nice, especially the ladies working the bar. The ushers were polite and made sure everyone found their seats. They even took pictures for folks which I thought was super nice as well. There are a number of parking lots in the area so that wasn’t an issue. We parked near the DoubleTree and it only cost us $4. There’s ample food nearby and all within walking distance. We’ll be back!

Not a bad seat in the house. Went to see the Black Violin's sold out show. Great sound.

We were here to see Sara Evans (6/1/2023). Not much are opened at 7 pm around there other than a few restaurants right across the street. The place is beautiful. The staff are helpful and pleasant except during the "Meet and Greet" for the VIP tickets for after the show. More about that later. We got the "Lift" tickets, second row. Amazing seats! I do wish that they put just a little more space between the chairs, even if it another 2 inches on either side. The sound quality was excellent. The concert was top-notch. We traveled from out the town to attend this concert. Now about the "Meet and Greet". We got instructions from one of the ushers... no talking to Sara Evans, no asking for autograph, camera out ready, have 1 minute and move on... and some other more instructions. So we got up there, got a photo taken, and started walking away when Sara Evans stopped us and asked if we would like the shirt signed. Since she asked, we replied, "Of courses." That was when one of the ushers started to yell at us and kept saying," Didn't I say don't ask for an autograph? " she just kept repeating it and didn't want to listen to us. Another usher standing there had to finally go over and tell her that we didn't ask for the autograph and that Sara Evans offered. Thank you for the usher who stepped in. Overall, it was a wonderful concert at a wonderful venue.

My first visit to this historic opera house in downtown Wilmington. I saw an oldies show here on a Saturday night. Staff very friendly, all older or retired folks. Picking up a ticket at will call was easy. The will call is actually located in a separate door to the right of the main entrance. Several hostess people were available to show you to your seats. Because it is an old theater, the rows of seats on the floor are very tight and you have to get up and actually move out into the aisle to let people into their seats so that can be a challenge. The acoustics were good, and so the sound for the show was excellent. I had a nice first experience here. I did not use the restrooms so I cannot comment on those and I did not partake of the concession stand either, but I was surprised to see at the intermission that I guess they do sell beer an alcoholic beverages, with some theaters do not. There is floor and balcony seating, and it seems to be good sightlines from most places. I was row J close to center aisle & has a good view & sound all evening.

We purchased seats to the Music of Abba show. Ticket prices were very expensive. The air conditioning in the theater was not working and it was hot and stuffy. The theater was packed with older people, most over 70 yrs old. The air was getting warmer as the performance continued, so at intermission we had to leave. It was hard for me to breathe. I do not recommend visiting this theater. The seats are the typical small seats of theaters built many years ago, so those who are tall or have a larger frame will be very uncomfortable. The ticket prices also included a huge service fee. This was a very experience for only seeing half the show. This was a miserable experience and will not return

I am a volunteer, but have also seen shows here. The acoustics are awesome! The seating, check the map! Call the box office to make sure you aren't seated behind a pillar which can possibly impact your viewing of the stage.

An impressive theater, restored to its original beauty, with wonderful sight lines and excellent sound quality - this past Tuesday we returned to the Grand to see Dawes play a two act show and an encore. Our seats were in the first row on the balcony, closer to stage right. The reason this isn't 5 stars is there was NO LEG ROOM even for my short, squatty legs let alone my lady's long shapely legs. There were bathrooms on the balcony level as well as refreshments sold out of a closet with alcohol, soft drinks, water, and snacks available. On the first floor there was a much larger bar and the merchandise table for over priced merch whose sales help keep the band on the road. Parking is a hassle. There's no lot near the theater ala the soon to be closed World Cafe Live. You are lucky if you find a spot out front. Unfortunately, we weren't. We did find the Doubletree lot that's very close by and was reasonably priced. It's also right on the route to get onto 95.

$8 online fee is preposterous. Folks working in the ticket office are unintelligible when on the phone. They must be using vocational rehabilitation services to hire in the ticket office. Unable to complete a sentence or provide information without putting you on hold for inordinate amounts of time. Always ask to speak with the manager if there is an issue, they are only slight more understandable than the staff. Venue is nice enough and safe contrary to the scardy cat posters below, very safe. Always a city cop in the immediate vicinity. Little leg room. Parking is NOT a hassle if you do your homework, go to the Doubletree or park on the street for free after 5p.

This is a small venue. You probably won't see any big concerts here, but it's great for finding new artists and see some of your favorites at a reasonable price. I've attended concerts in both the main rooms in the opera house, the main hall is much better for concerts and doesn't have a bad seat in the house. The other hall can get a bit too loud due to it's size, but that didn't stop us from enjoying both concerts. The location is great because there are excellent restaurants around for before or after your show and the part of town is clean and inviting.

Came here recently for the Breaking Benjamin Acoustic Concert and it was an awesome time with the wife. The venue's all intimate seats gives everyone to feel like they are part of the action. I'd highly advise that if you are tall or heavyset, DO NOT SIT IN THE 1st ROW BALCONY. Where we were, we had maybe 7" of space for our legs and it was very uncomfortable. I've never seen so many ushers in a venue this size, but every one of them were friendly and accommodating. There are several bar/snack areas, and we were allowed to bring in our drinks inside the theatre. Parking is on the street and metered unless at night so good luck! We found a spot 3 blocks away. I'd absolutely come back for another show, but would sit elsewhere.

An intimate beautifully restored old horseshoe style theater with a wrap around balcony and wonderful acoustics. My favorite venue in the Philly and Delaware area. Easy parking in the Doubletree hotel and entry through the back door.

I am 3 calls and an email in to it and still have not received a call back from management! I purchased tickets on-line and was charged more than the advertised price. I am hoping their lack of responsiveness is not an indication of The Grands typical customer service. I will update...

We Banjo 4 killed the audience last night. The performance was fantastic and fun. The Grand as an Army of volunteers who make this place Rock. Park in the Doubletree lot on King Street, no worries.

Great venue to hear some music. I had the opportunity to listen to the DSO on a Saturday night for the Classical Series. The acoustics were fantastic, the seats were pretty comfortable, and I didn't feel like my knees were digging into the seat in front of me. We sat in the dress circle, on the side and had a good view of the stage. The ceiling and architecture is very ornate and fun to look at.

I could not thank the Grand enough for the fantastic time we had. This was the perfect venue for Melissa Etheridge. The seating was comfortable, and the view was amazing. The little bar outside our section was very useful, though only cash, it provided my mom with all the white wine she desired (that I could afford) and just to see how happy and comfy my mom was made it all worth it. The staff were courteous, and they had a little snack bar, though only drinks were allowed to your seats. But even that much seemed fantastic to me.

We came to see Lucia Micarelli, a violinist. The place is great! The bar has wine, beer, water and sodas

I started going to the Grand last fall to see the Delaware Symphony Orchestra, the Delaware Opera and MacHomer. I had a great time - so much so that I pre-ordered Opera tickets and ballet tickets this year and will be back for more tickets soon. What a deal! $100 for 4 tickets AND they sent me 4 free parking vouchers and a discount card for some restaurants on Market St. Plus, you get discounts for buying 4 tickets and 6 tickets and you get the discount for additional shows the whole season. You can not beat that deal! The Grand itself is really nice - beautiful inside. If you are out on a special night, you can dress up but you can also show up on business casual or dressed up jeans and feel right at home. At Machomer, it was very casual so it depends on the performance. I recommend the seats in the middle for better sound and site but I usually buy the cheap seats on the side on the second level. Sometimes if the show is really empty, they will let you move to the middle anyway. I usually park at the Double Tree hotel - its safe, less than a block from the theater and there are safety people around in the evening. Market street is 100 times better than it used to be and is actually becoming quite cute so sometimes I will go early and just hang around and grab a drink or bite to eat. All around, this is a deal you can not beat. I didn't know Delaware had such great art opportunites so good, so close, so cheap and I don't have to travel to Philly! Don't miss this!

Awesome venue! Great acoustics, COMFORTABLE seats, good views, just the right combination of intimate and big. You are allowed to bring food and drink into the theater and the candy/drink prices are AMAZINGLY low. Ushers run a TIGHT ship. Nothing wrong with that. Absolutely beautiful historical landmark as well.

Been to many different and varied shows at the Grand. Also have worked with them at my former position when they asked the organization to partner with them. Check their website for upcoming events and shows. There are some fairly big name acts and comedians that perform here.

Beautiful venue, excellent acoustics, great light show, comfy seats (even though no one was sitting during the moe. gig on 2/5/14!) and a warm, welcoming staff. The temperature was just right inside, too. Park on the street or pay $3 to park at Doubletree Hotel (1 block away). Getting off I-95N at exit 6 was bad idea, though, because it puts you on a road (MLK Blvd?) with terrible potholes!

First time back to The Grand in a decade. It's a nice venue for the Wilmington community but doubt that I'll make the trek from PA again. Too many better venues near me. The show (Andrew Bird) was really good but it was difficult to stay focused since we were freezing. The air conditioning was on for sure. And my seat was broken causing me to constantly readjust. There are many parking comments online. Save yourself the hassles and use the Doubletree lot. It was $3, secure, covered, and 3 min walk to the venue. Much praise to the army of helpful & friendly volunteers that keep everything moving! Wish there were better/easier food choices nearby. We enjoyed drinks in the Grand Lounge. Improvement suggestions: 1) Figure out a unisex bathroom situation. It's 2018 and time to free women from lines. 2) Better regulate the temperature. 3) Direct patrons to the Doubletree and no one will ever complain about parking again. 4) This part of Wilmington feels a bit shady due to some homeless folks in the shadows. Pay it forward & take a sandwich or a few bucks to offer. Overall, not my cup of tea, but thrilled that the Wilmington community is maintaining a significant arts presence at the Grand!

A beautifully restored venue. Nice size for performances. Unfortunately, downtown Wilmington has fallen on hard times. Good restaurant, the Chelsea Tavern, is immediately across the street. This is about as far as I would want to walk in this area after dark.

Saw a jazz concert in the baby grand (the smaller room) last week. While the performers were outstanding and the acoustics good, the crowd diluted much of the enjoyment. There was frequent talking and cell phone use even though the crowd was reminded to show respect for the musicians and refrain from those activities. A few attendees frequently yelled out to the musicians. Maybe they were drunk. And attendees often left their seats in the middle of a song to exit to the lobby. When returning to their seats the ushers let them through rather than hold them back until the song ended. I've never seen such poor manners at a concert of this caliber or at such a nice facility.

This venue is tired and needs some major renovations. I felt like I was in a school auditorium and the curtains looked dry rotted. It must have been beautiful in its heyday. I am only writing this review because I discreetly sent them an email expressing my disappointment in the Mannheim performance and have not gotten a response. The talent scouting on behalf of the organization has certainly become lax for them to have hosted this group. It was a horrible evening of unprofessional dubbed performances and tired video presentations. The price for the tickets were outrageous given the quality of the performance.

This is the second show I have seen here, although I have no memory of the theatre from the first show. It is indeed beautiful! The staff was helpful, the sightlines were excellent, and the sound excellent. Parking is a bit of a mess as there isn't any. It's all on the street in downtown Wilmington. I had no issues, but was concerned at first.

My girlfriend and I went to the Hannibal Buress performance on 3-26-15. It was my first time at the Grand and it will also be my last. For starters, I ordered tickets and a parking pass directly from the Grand's own website. The parking pass arrived without any kind of identifying marks on it; it was just a card with a data strip on the back. I was under the impression that the theater had its own lot or garage, or at least one nearby that it uses regularly, but it does not. Every other theater I've been to does some version of this. As it turned out, the garage the ticket belonged to was 20 blocks away! My girlfriend got out and asked about it at the box office while I circled the block a few times. Why they would sell this pass is beyond me. To be fair, the employee she talked to was nice and gave us a free pass to the Double Tree garage, which was only a couple of blocks away. Being forced to drive around a very unsafe area for an extra 20 minutes was definitely unpleasant. The next problem was that the seating map on the Grand's website is not accurate. I thought my seats were on an isle in the second row, because that is where I clicked when I purchased the tickets. Unfortunately they turned out to be in the second row of folding chairs directly in front of the stage. Had I known this I would have never gone through with the transaction. At the performance I actually heard some other people behind us remark the same thing, that they were mislead as well. Thirdly, there was a drunk person yelling things at various times during the show, and the Grand employees did nothing about it. It disrupted Hannibal's performance a number of times, and he should have been removed after the second outburst. Perhaps the theater was more interested in selling alcohol then preserving the integrity of the performance. Finally, the house volume was oppressively loud. Had I known it would be that loud I would have brought earplugs to lessen the burden on my ears. I've seen live comedy in a number of venus and I've never experienced microphone volume at such a level. It should be noted that the theater was aesthetically pleasing and well-maintained, and the employees were all very nice. Unfortunately the complete lack of reliability with every other part of the experience makes it impossible to return.

This venue is beautiful, historic, and the most exquisite jewel in the crown of what downtown Wilmington is becoming! Wonderfully eclectic acts booked in the main stage as well as the Baby Grand. Acoustics are stellar and often remarked upon by visiting artists. Parking concerns easily solved by using the Doubletree lot on King Street and entering through the back door. Come a little early and try out one of the many new restaurants popping up on Market Street!! And don't forget ice cream from The Creamery ; )

This place is a gem. If you see or hear of an artist coming to this locale, jump at the chance for a ticket. Its' a small venue, so there's not a bad seat in the house. The seating is close, but not horribly tight, certainly not the worst I've experienced. The staff are ALL volunteer, and they are the nicest people! They seem as happy to be there as you are! There are refreshments, alcohol, soft drinks, and candy/gum/mints. Parking is not a total nightmare....street parking (coin fed meters) but because the city empties out at 5pm and because it is such a small venue, you can find parking within a few blocks. There are ample Downtown Visions members (public safety employees) in the area as well, so you'll be fine after dark when the show ends.

Laarv supports the arts. Laarv and her companion had the opportunity to attend the 35th annual Grand Gala in early December, 2011. And what an event it was. The entertainment for the evening was the Midtown Men, featuring the members from the Original Jersey Boys cast signing hits from the 1960's. Laarv likes the 1960's. The black tie event was well attended. The Opera House is a crown jewel in downtown Wilmington. Every seat in the house has good sight lines and sound. The staff is professional and friendly. They truly make you feel welcome. The Gala was followed up at the Hotel DuPont (Laarv will review that separately) where the crowd danced, drank and reveled into the evening. Laarv and her companion plan on making The Grand Gala an annual event.

I attended "The Jungle Book," part of the children's summer series, with my two young children today. Frankly, the experience was just sad. I am currently an early childhood educator and have a professional background in educational theater. I think exposure to the arts is vital, and I expected some noise and engagement from the young audience. But the shouting and yelling from some of the adult chaperones as they attempted to manage their groups today was just unacceptable. I totally missed about a third of the play's dialogue, and I felt awful for the family members in the audience who came to see their loved ones perform. Furthermore, it was really disappointing to see only one usher try to handle the situation, while others sat and stared. This series is a pay-what-you-will program, which is giving many children who may not otherwise have access the opportunity to experience live theater. But without some management on the part of the Grand, audiences will not return (or make donations, which I'm guessing is part of the goal). Please, please - don't let this important program go unchecked and unsupported.

An $8.00 per ticket charge for online orders and you have to create an account. How obnoxious!

We were kind of scared to go here after another review I read. I'm so glad we decided to go after all. We went to see Last Comic Standing. It's a very nice theater (no leg room was my only complaint). The neighborhood is downtown. It's not the suburbs. We parked at the Doubletree Parking Garage on King street. It was $3 to park. We had to walk a block up and 2 or three blocks over. It was well lit, and we felt completely safe. The trees on the street even had lights woven in the branches. I would like to see it a Christmastime, I bet it's pretty. I wish we hadn't worried about the area and had dinner at the pub across the street. Next time for sure! To sum it up, it's a nice old theater and it's a city, so use caution, but it's a quick well-lit walk and well worth it.

From its magnificent facade to the belle epoque interior, the Grand Opera House of Wilmington, DE is a gem of a venue. Built in 1871, it became the home of the Delaware Symphony Orchestra, Opera Delaware and First State Ballet. It has great acoustics and at just under 1200 seats is the perfect size. Today it hosts shows featuring Linda Ronstadt, voice as fine as ever, David Bromberg, Mr. Sixties Activist and The Nutcracker, the 2008 production superior. Need to visit this place at least once whether for a show or not. There are a few Ok restaurants and cafes on the street, Thirty minutes down 95 from the airport.

Great place if you dont get a seat near the frat boys enjoying the alcohol sales.

I'm writing this review about acquiring tickets for the upcoming Chris Cornell show. I purchased tickets on line from their website. They were priced according to the lower level seating. After I purchased, the seats came up as S-1 and S-2. I was looking at the seating plan and did not see row S. I assumed that they would add some rows with chairs. When I got the tickets they said STAND. I called the box office to get more information. The girl said they were sold out but added standing room tickets. So basically, I paid full price to stand in the Opera House like an oaf who will be blocking others view of the stage. The web site was not clear. False advertising. I demanded my money back and finally got them to agree. I am very upset but felt that they were ripping me off, so I am not going. Sneaky move for the opera house. I hope others know what they are getting into.

Battle of the Sexes Comedy Show by Liberty Comedy at the Baby Grand. On a very cold night, I was very glad to have some laughs. Adrienne Lapalucci and Ophira Eisenberg brought some metropolitan sensibility and twisted humor, much needed in Delaware. Mike Burton returned to his home with his "classy" high energy comedy. It was like a quick trip to a NYC comedy club. Come back soon! In fact, Liberty Comedy brings Fabulously Funny Females Comedy to The Grand on April 14 -- since my wife was unable to attend this show, it will be on her dance card of spring events.

Very nice venue for a show. We were up from DC for the weekend to see the Carolina Chocolate Drops. Since we stayed at the Du Pont, the venue location - and some great restaurants - were perfectly located. In difference to a review from the same week, we walked North Market for two days and never felt unsafe - even after the show. The venue is gorgeous with the kind of sound you want from a performing arts venue. Great staff, lovely time. This isn't a downgrade at all, but if you are tall (6"3") it can be a little cramped....

The DSO did a great job on New Year's Eve. The concert was very good, with a nice selection of pieces. The vocalists and dancers were also wonderful. Flowers, bubbles, party favors, champagne, and music. What a nice way to end the year. Thank you!