The opera house was opened in 1905 – architecturally a mix of neo-baroque and art nouveau – but was severely damaged towards the end of World War II. As one of the first theater buildings in post-war Germany to be rebuilt, it underwent another renovation in this century that ended with its reopening on January 18, 2009. The refreshment room of the opera, designed by building commissioner Friedrich Hetzelt in 1953, shines after the renovation with its abstract mural, lamps, railings, and the window front to the city, back in the spirit of its time.
The "Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch" also performs its productions in the opera house. Already in 1973, the Wuppertal theaters were able to win the prominent choreographer Pina Bausch as the head of the ballet division. The drama department received a new venue with 152 seats in September 2014 with the "Theater am Engelsgarten" on the grounds of the Museum of Early Industrialization and the Engels House. The Sinfonieorchester, on the other hand, gives its concerts in the Historical City Hall of Wuppertal.
