Built in 1857, the Academy of Music is one of Philadelphia's oldest arts venues and the country's oldest continually-used opera house! Once the home of the Philadelphia Orchestra, today the Academy hosts touring Broadway shows each year as well as classical and pop concerts, and live comedy.

The Theatre was built by the Shubert Organization in 1918, formerly known as the Sam S. Shubert Theatre, and continuously hosts touring Broadway shows. It is located within the Avenue of the Arts cultural district of Center City, Philadelphia. It was re-named the Merriam Theater, and in 1972 the theater came under the ownership of the Academy of Music, and is currently owned by the University of the Arts. It is also associated with the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts.