The Theatre was built by the Shubert Organization in 1918, formerly known as the Sam S. Shubert Theatre, and continuously hosts touring Broadway shows. It is located within the Avenue of the Arts cultural district of Center City, Philadelphia. It was re-named the Merriam Theater, and in 1972 the theater came under the ownership of the Academy of Music, and is currently owned by the University of the Arts. It is also associated with the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts.

The Walnut Street Theatre in the Washington Square West neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the oldest continuously operating theatre in the United States. The Walnut Street Theatre Company, a non-profit organization, runs the venue, maintaining three stages used for different events. Five productions a year are staged at the venue's main stage and it is the world's most subscribed theatre company.