Horseshoe hall
Four tiers.
Ciriice — CC BY-SA 4.0 · MTur Destinos — Public domain · andresumida — CC BY 2.0 · Amanda Gato — CC BY-SA 4.0
Teatro Arthur Azevedo, in the historic centre of São Luís, is the second-oldest theatre in Brazil. Two Portuguese merchants built it during Maranhão's cotton boom, on the model of Italian horseshoe-shaped theatres with tiers of boxes, in neoclassical style, and it opened on 1 June 1817 as the Teatro da União. It became the Teatro São Luiz in 1852, and since 1922 has carried the name of the poet and playwright Artur Azevedo. It served as a cinema from 1940 to 1966, then fell into ruin until only its façade remained, and was rebuilt in 1989 to the original plans; it now seats about 750 on four levels. It recently underwent its biggest renovation in thirty years, with new air conditioning, lighting and sound and accessibility features such as Braille signs and tactile flooring. In August 2026 the theatre resumed free guided visits: Tuesday to Saturday 14:00-18:00 and Sunday 10:00-13:00, with groups of more than ten booking ahead.
Four tiers.
From 1817.
After the renovation.
Rua do Sol, Historic Centre, São Luís
Yes, on free guided visits Tuesday to Saturday 14:00-18:00 and Sunday 10:00-13:00, with no booking for small groups.
