Mission & History

Discover The Hanover Theatre and Conservatory for the Performing Arts: explore our history, learn our mission and meet our community.

front entrance to the hanover theatre.

The rebirth of The Hanover Theatre is very symbolic of what’s happening to our city.


old sepia photo of hanover theatre seating filled with people.

Adopt-A-School Performance of RENT the 40th Anniversary Tour

Our Mission & Vision

To ignite and nurture a passion for the performing arts in audiences and artists of today and tomorrow.

To be a dynamic downtown destination where all people can experience the transformative power of the performing arts.

We’re constantly striving to live our mission and vision. From partnering with local businesses to providing multiple educational programs for our youth, getting the top Broadway tours of today to future programming on the new plaza, our ambitions are mighty.

Francis R. Carroll Plaza at night. Photo by Mike Hendrickson.

THT's Founding

NEW! The Hanover Theatre and Conservatory’s documentary, On a Wing and a Prayer: Achieving the Impossible Dream, is now available online. Check it out now for free!

A Cultural Jewel of Central Massachusetts

Curtains up on the cultural jewel of central Massachusetts.

With a sweeping grand staircase and elegant chandeliers, The Hanover Theatre and Conservatory for the Performing Arts transports its audience back to the time when a night out at the theatre was one of the most delightful entertainment options available. Today, it serves as a center of culture, education and community. It also symbolizes the rebirth of a city.

Selected by POLLSTAR as one of the Top Theatres in the World, The Hanover Theatre seats 2,300 audience members before its historic stage. Renovated and restored in 2008, the theatre brings internationally recognized performers, popular Broadway shows and thought-provoking stage pieces to central Massachusetts. Our restoration and therefore new ability to bring the world to Worcester served as a catalyst of the revitalization of Worcester’s (and central Massachusetts’s) cultural district. With the theatre at its center, our city became a place where the performing arts were not only accessible, but world-renowned.

View our Annual Report to the Community to see what we have accomplished in the past fiscal year.

Land Acknowledgement

Land is something sacred to all of us, whether we consciously appreciate it or not, it is the space upon which we play, live, eat, find love and experience life. The land is ever-changing and ever-shifting, giving us and all other creatures and beings on the earth an infinite number of gifts and lessons. Today, we want to acknowledge the traditional, ancestral, unceded territory of the Nipmuc Nation on which we are working and currently performing in Worcester, MA. We recognize and respect Indigenous Peoples as traditional stewards of this land and the enduring relationship that exists between Indigenous Peoples and their traditional territories. This sort of acknowledgement is essential to human rights work across the world. It is essential to our work of honoring stories that explore the human experience.

The Hanover Theatre has brought vibrancy and energy to Worcester since its opening in March of 2008. It has played host to world-class cultural entertainment and attracted hundreds of thousands of people into Worcester. The architectural significance of the theatre is undeniable and must be treasured and supported. UniBank is pleased to play a role in the preservation of The Hanover Theatre so it will remain among the city’s cultural driving forces.

James Paulhus, president of UniBank

Visit Our Beautiful, Historic Theatre

Come visit The Hanover Theatre and experience its beauty, history and elegance for yourself!

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