Memorial Auditorium (Louisville, Kentucky)

Memorial Auditorium

Entrance to the auditorium
Address	970 S. 4th St. Louisville, Kentucky United States
Owner	Louisville Memorial Commission
Operator	Louisville Memorial Commission
Capacity	1,742
Opened	1927 (1927)
Website
www.louisvillememorialauditorium.com
Louisville War Memorial Auditorium
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Coordinates	38°14′21″N 85°45′36″W
Area	1 acre (0.40 ha)
Architect	Carrere & Hasting
Architectural style	Beaux Arts
NRHP reference No.	77000625
Added to NRHP	December 27, 1977

Louisville Memorial Auditorium, located at 970 South Fourth Street, is a concert venue of Greek Revival design. It was dedicated on Memorial Day, May 30, 1929, as a memorial to the people of Louisville who served in World War I. In 1954, the ceiling was lowered and the side balconies were closed off reducing the seating capacity from 2,349 to 1,742 to improve the acoustics.

Memorial Auditorium is home of the world's largest Pilcher organ and the largest operating pipe organ in the region. The instrument is sometimes referred as an orchestral pipe organ, as it includes sounds such as a French Horn, Tuba, a Cor Anglais which you often see in a symphonic orchestra. The organ contains a Tibia, which would be recognized as a large flute, which are usually found in Theater Organs. This historic four-manual instrument with 5,288 pipes has been in operation since opening. The acoustic renovation all but completely closed off the pipe chambers from the renovated hall. It has been designated a landmark by the Louisville Metro Landmarks Commission and is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Although it is now used mainly by organizations for recitals, graduations, etc., it hosted many rock concerts in the 1960s and 1970s, including The Rolling Stones, Chicago, Bruce Springsteen, and Kiss.

References

[1] Official Pipe Organ Database record of the Pilcher pipe organ at Louisville Memorial Auditorium