Stephen Foster Memorial

The landmark Stephen Foster Memorial represents the University’s deep commitment to the performing arts, and is one of two majestic buildings designed by Charles Klauder to accompany his Cathedral of Learning.

Conceived and initiated by members of the Tuesday Musical Club as a tribute to Pittsburgh native and composer Stephen Collins Foster (1826-1864), the building was completed and dedicated in 1937.

The Foster Hall Collection, the principal repository for materials pertaining to Foster, was founded by Indianapolis pharmaceutical giant Josiah Kirby Lilly, and given to Pitt to be housed in the building. The Stephen Foster Memorial Museum houses an exhibit on Foster’s life; adjacent to it is Pitt’s Center for American Music, a special collections library that contains one of the nation’s most significant collections of 19th century American music.

Home to the productions of the University’s Department of Theatre Arts for three decades, the facilities in the Foster Memorial have been restored and upgraded to provide state-of-the-art performance and technical experiences for Pitt students and guest artists. The 478-seat Charity Randall Theatre, unveiled in 2003, replicates the intimate grandeur and features of the original Foster auditorium but is equipped with state-of-the-art technical, sound and lighting capabilities for Pitt’s Repertory Theatre and its guest companies. Downstairs, the 151-seat Henry Heymann Theatre, completed in 2000, offers audiences and players a more intimate setting.