Scranton Cultural Center
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Masonic Temple and Scottish Rite Cathedral
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Scranton Cultural Center at the Masonic Temple
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| Location | 416–420 North Washington Avenue Scranton, Pennsylvania |
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| Coordinates | 41°24′39″N 75°39′38″W / 41.41083°N 75.66056°WCoordinates: 41°24′39″N 75°39′38″W / 41.41083°N 75.66056°W |
| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1928 |
| Architect | Raymond Hood |
| Architectural style |
Gothic Revival, Romanesque Revival |
| NRHP Reference # | 97001259 |
| Added to NRHP | November 7, 1997 |
The Scranton Cultural Center at the Masonic Temple (formerly the Masonic Temple and Scottish Rite Cathedral) is a theatre and cultural center in Scranton, Pennsylvania. The Cultural Center's mission statement is "to rejuvenate a national architectural structure as a regional center for arts, education and community activities appealing to all ages." The Cultural Center hosts national Broadway tours; professional and local musical and dramatic theatre offerings; local, regional and national orchestral and popular music, dance and opera; comedians, lecturers, art exhibits, a children's and performing arts academy and various classes as well as fundraiser galas and special events including proms, luncheons, private parties and is a popular wedding ceremony and reception venue. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Architect Raymond Hood designed the Masonic Temple and Scottish Rite Cathedral, which houses the Scranton Cultural Center, the current operating organization for the building. The Masonic Temple is designed in a combination of Gothic Revival architecture and Romanesque Revival—Richardsonian Romanesque with contemporary Art Deco influences. The building was completed in 1930. The temple was designed with a dual nature; it was built to house the Scottish Rite Cathedral and a Masonic lodge while housing spaces (primarily the theater and ballroom) that were intended for public use. The design of the building is a tribute to Freemasonry.
The Masonic Temple houses: The Harry and Jeannette Weinberg Theatre which seats 1,866 for concerts, lectures, national Broadway tours, dance and other entertainment; the Governor Robert P. Casey Library; the Raymond Hood Room (renovated from the original bowling alley); a Junior Ballroom, utilized both as event space and for the Children's and Performing Arts Academy summer and after school programs; a Grand Ballroom which can hold 2,400 for standing room performances and is host to elegant weddings, community fundraisers and galas -it was designed to seat 1,000 for dinner and was the largest ballroom in the region at the time; a "Ladies Parlor" overlooking the Grand Ballroom; Shopland Hall (originally Norman Hall), a 500-seat theatre and lodge hall located on the 4th floor, Craftsmen Hall (originally the gaming and billiard room) on the 3rd Floor as well as Snyder and Gazda Hall (originally Tuscan and Flemish Halls - named for their decor) which serve as the primary Lodge rooms for the Masonic Fraternity. Both the Weinberg Theatre and Shopland Hall are equipped with Austin Organs (numbers 1713 and 1712 respectively). Most of the facility is open for public usage and rental through the year. Visitors to Scranton can visit the Temple and take a tour that highlights the architecture of the building as well as its present-day uses.
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