Downtown Houston is home to the enchanting Gus S. Wortham Theater Center, a bold and beautiful facility like no other. With its unique style and architecture, the Wortham Center, which features two theaters, has entertained millions with its performances, galas, corporate and group events.
Standing as a “creative playground for performing artists”, Wortham is also home to two distinguished resident companies and has established itself as a landmark of the Houston Theater District
A True Community Effort: The History of the Wortham Theater Center
A testament to Houston’s consumate philanthropy even in difficult times, the Wortham Center came to life at the brink of the 1980’s oil bust. The project was fully funded by the private sector where more than 3,500 donors contributed $66 million, with 2,200 of those individuals giving $100 or less.
The building is the legacy of the late Gus S. Wortham, the founder of American General Insurance Company whose foundation contributed $20 million to the capital campaign. The Cullen Foundation and the Brown Foundation donated $7.5 million and $6 million, respectively, in a demonstration of the collective strength of Houston's philanthropic spirit.
The 437,500-square-foot facility was not only completed four months ahead of schedule, but also $5 million under budget. In 1987, this newly built performing arts mecca became home to the first major opera house built in the U.S. in more than 25 years.
Today, the City of Houston owns the building while Houston First Corporation operates the facility.