This is paragraph text. Click it or hit the Manage Text button to change the font, color, size, format, and more. To set up site-wide paragraph and title styles, go to Site Theme.

Vision & Mission Goals

  • Vision Statement

    The vision of Thalian Hall Center for the Performing Arts, Inc. is to create a culturally vibrant community by expanding education, entertainment, and the imagination through the arts.

  • Mission Statement

    Our mission is to present the finest cultural, educational, and entertainment programming to inspire and unify our community; to be a major resource in the region for state-of-the-art technology and artistic development; and to preserve one of America’s most prized historic theatres for generations. 

  • Program Goals

    Thalian Hall Center for the Performing Arts is dedicated to providing high-quality artistic performances that reflect the diverse interests of the community while offering educational programs and cultural experiences for audiences of all ages. The organization serves as a community gathering space for local nonprofits, individuals, and organizations, while preserving the historic theater through ongoing renovations and technical upgrades. It also focuses on expanding public awareness through marketing initiatives, maintaining strong leadership and staff, and securing the resources needed to support its mission and long-term goals.

Productions & Projects

  • Main Attractions & Legends Series

    Every year, Thalian Hall produces the Legends & Main Attractions Series, which provides Wilmington audiences the chance to see great touring artists from around the world. Members of Friends of Thalian Hall receive discounts on Main Attractions tickets, access to advance ticket purchases before the general public, and other benefits.


    Click here to learn more about our Main Attractions

  • Community Theatre & Events

    Every year, over 30 local organizations utilize the stages and spaces of Historic Thalian Hall. These events occupy the majority of our calendar and continue an over 160-year tradition of being Wilmington's cultural and civic heart.

    Big Dawg Productions, Opera House Theatre Company, and Thalian Association Community Theatre each call Thalian Hall home for their presenting seasons.  


    Click here to learn more about our Community Theater & Events

  • Cinema

    Thalian Hall Cinema is a series of first-run and repertory wide release, independent, foreign, documentary, and other notable films presented by Thalian Hall Center for the Performing Arts.

    Throughout the year Thalian Hall presents multiple film series,' as well as special screenings, and is the home of several local film festivals, including Cucalorus and the Wilmington Jewish Film Festival.


    Click here to learn more about our Cinema showings.

  • Pied Piper Children's Theatre

    Each year the Pied Piper Theatre performs for over 6,000 school students in New Hanover County. First and second-grade school children travel to Thalian Hall by bus and are treated to an original musical comedy featuring talent derived from the local acting community. Pied Piper Theatre is produced by the staff of Thalian Hall Center Performing Arts, Inc., with the generous support of the Landfall Foundation, the Arts Council of Wilmington and New Hanover County, and many more. 


    At the beginning of the school year, teachers receive a synopsis of the play and a selection of songs to be taught in music classes. When the children arrive, their familiarity with the music and story helps to create an interactive environment. Each play expresses positive themes, along with a large dose of theatrical magic and laughter. For some children this may be their first exposure to live theatre.


    Click here to learn more about our local children's theater

  • Art & Archive Collection

    Our theater building is not the only notable historical artifact that we care for. Thalian Hall houses the only original and operational Thunder Roll in the US. The Thunder Roll is a special effects device that was used in the 19th Century to create the sound of thunder indoors, well before modern electrical sound equipment.

    The original Russell Smith Front Curtain, sometimes called "The Main Rag," hangs in the back of the original lobby as you enter the Weyerhaeuser Parquet. It is believed to be one of the oldest front theatre curtains in the US and is one of the few remaining examples of its size of Russell Smith's work.

    Thalian Hall also maintains a sizable art collection, including prominent pieces by artists such as Dorothy Gillespie, as well as artifacts chronicling the physical history of and improvements to the theatre.

    Our archive collection extensively documents not only the history of Thalian Hall and the performances and events that happened inside our walls, but also the history of theatre and the arts in the Cape Fear Region.


    Click here to learn more about our Art & Archive Collection available for purchase

  • Tours & Education

    Historic Thalian Hall offers tours to the public to explore the history of the building and some of the inner workings of the theatre. 

    Historic Thalian Hall participates in the Historic Wilmington Foundation's Tarheels Go Walking tour program, which introduces third-grade students from around the Cape Fear region to the history of downtown Wilmington. 


    Tours can be requested at ThalianHall.org/Tours