A unique performance complex, the Athenaeum Theatre opened in 1911 as part of the campus of St. Alphonsus Catholic Church. Conceived as a "neighborhood playhouse," by the original German-American parish, the Athenaeum Theatre is a historic building and the oldest continuously operating off-Loop theater in Chicago.

The Athenaeum Theatre shares its heritage by using its various spaces for the arts, educational, and social service communities. The building houses five performance spaces and offices and rehearsal halls for performing arts groups as well as a gymnasium and a food pantry.

The theatre serves as a cultural resource and a forum for arts groups and audiences both in the neighborhood and the greater Chicago area.

The Athenaeum Theatre has a main stage theatre which seats 984 people and three studio theatres seating 67, 81 and 89 people. The Curtain Call Club serves as a reception room for 55 people for cabaret, comedy improv, lectures and other intimate events. All public spaces are available for rent.