With a capacity of 3,483 (2,377 on the orchestra level and 1,106 on the balcony), the Municipal Auditorium is the largest theater in West Virginia. Concerts, graduations, Broadway stage shows and other special events, including the annual presentation of The Nutcracker, are held on the auditorium's 65-by-85.5-foot stage.[4]
History
In the mid-1930s, as Charleston’s population and cultural ambitions grew, citizens began calling for a larger and more suitable public assembly hall.[5] Larry Silverstein, president of the Community Music Association, led a determined effort to persuade voters to approve a bond referendum on December 29, 1936, which provided the city’s share of funding for what became a $500,000 project.[6] The project advanced under the Public Works Administration as part of the New Deal’s nationwide program of civic improvements.
On November 4, 1939, the new Charleston Municipal Auditorium was dedicated during a four-hour ceremony attended by approximately 5,000 people.[7] At the event, the regional PWA administrator praised the project, declaring that the agency’s $212,000 contribution was “fully justified” and that the building compared favorably with some of the finest auditoriums in the United States. The completion of the auditorium marked a turning point for the city, providing a grand stage for concerts, conventions, and community events for decades to come.
Country music singer Hank Williams (1923-1953) was scheduled to perform a New Year's Eve show at the auditorium on December 31, 1952. Due to bad weather in Nashville, he was not able to fly to the venue. While en route to the New Year's Day show in Canton, Ohio, Williams died of heart failure in the back seat of his Cadillac near Oak Hill, West Virginia.[8]
The auditorium was closed in February 2024 after engineers discovered structural and safety concerns during a routine assessment. In January 2025, the Charleston City Council allocated $1 million to fund a detailed study to determine the building’s future and explore options for preserving its historic façade. The closure has left the venue’s long-term status uncertain.[10]
Notable performances
List of notable performances held at the Charleston Municipal Auditorium.
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City of Charleston 
