There is a moment, right before the lights dim inside Allentown Symphony Hall, when the low murmur of the crowd settles into something almost reverent. The musicians tune their instruments, a last ripple of conversation fades, and then — silence. That half-second of collective anticipation is worth the price of admission all by itself. I have sat in concert halls from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh, and I will tell you without hesitation that this one holds its own with the best of them.
Allentown Symphony Hall sits at 23 North Sixth Street, right in the heart of downtown, housed in a building that was originally constructed as a Masonic temple in 1899. The architecture alone earns a long look before you even step inside. The façade is all Romanesque Revival — solid, deliberate, a little imposing in the best way — and once you pass through the entrance, the interior opens up into something genuinely beautiful. The main auditorium features warm wood paneling, ornate plasterwork, and acoustics that were shaped by the era before anyone needed digital enhancement to fill a room with sound. The Allentown Symphony Association has called this space home since 1949, and the hall has been thoughtfully maintained and restored over the decades. It feels historic without feeling musty.
The Allentown Symphony Orchestra, led by Music Director Diane Wittry for many years and now continuing under strong artistic leadership, delivers a full season of classical programming that genuinely competes with what you would find in larger metro areas. We are talking Beethoven, Brahms, Dvořák, and Mahler performed by a professional orchestra that takes the music seriously. But the ASO is not stuck in amber — they also program pops concerts, holiday performances, family-friendly shows, and collaborations with local choral groups and guest soloists that bring a range of repertoire across the season. There is something here for the lifelong symphony subscriber and the curious first-timer equally.
Speaking of first-timers: do not let the words “symphony hall” intimidate you. The vibe inside Allentown Symphony Hall is welcoming rather than stuffy. People dress up if they want to, or they come in smart casual, and nobody makes a fuss either way. The hall seats roughly 1,100 people, which means sightlines are excellent from almost every section, and the room is intimate enough that you feel genuinely connected to the performance rather than watching it from across a vast cavern.
Arrive early enough to explore the lobby, grab a drink at the pre-concert bar, and take in the architectural details up close. If you can snag a spot for a pre-show conversation or program note session, those are worth attending — they add real context to the music you are about to hear and make the whole evening feel more like an experience than a transaction.
Parking is easy by downtown standards — there are several garages within a two-block walk — and the hall is surrounded by enough restaurants that a full evening out practically plans itself. Dinner at one of Sixth Street’s nearby spots, followed by two hours of live orchestral music in a century-old hall, followed by a nightcap somewhere close: that is a complete Allentown evening, and it costs considerably less than a comparable night in Philadelphia or New York.
The Allentown Symphony Hall is the kind of place that makes you proud of a city. It is proof that Allentown has always had cultural ambition, that it has sustained that ambition across generations, and that it intends to keep doing so. Whatever your relationship with classical music — devotee, occasional dabbler, or total newcomer — an evening here has a way of deepening it. Buy a ticket, find your seat, and let that moment of pre-concert silence do its thing. You will not regret it.
