Memorial Auditorium (Louisville, Kentucky)

{{Infobox venue

| name = Memorial Auditorium

| image = Louisville War Memorial Auditorium.jpg

| image_size =

| image_alt =

| caption = Entrance to the auditorium

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| address = 970 S. 4th St.

| city = Louisville, Kentucky

| country = United States

| designation =

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| owner = Louisville Memorial Commission

| tenant =

| operator = Louisville Memorial Commission

| capacity = 1,742

| type =

| opened = {{Start date|1927}}

| reopened =

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| website = {{URL|http://www.louisvillememorialauditorium.com}}

{{Infobox NRHP

| embed = yes

| name = Louisville War Memorial Auditorium

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| location =

| coordinates = {{coord|38|14|21|N|85|45|36|W|display=inline,title}}

| locmapin = Kentucky#USA

| architect = Carrere & Hasting

| architecture = Beaux Arts

| added = December 27, 1977

| area = {{convert|1|acre}}

| refnum = 77000625{{NRISref|version=2010a}}

}}

}}

Louisville Memorial Auditorium, located at 970 South Fourth Street, is a concert venue of Greek Revival design. It was dedicated on Memorial Day, May 30, 1929, as a memorial to the people of Louisville who served in World War I. In 1954, the ceiling was lowered and the side balconies were closed off reducing the seating capacity from 2,349 to 1,742 to improve the acoustics.

Memorial Auditorium is home of the world's largest [https://new.pipeorgandatabase.org/instruments/5265#stoplistshttps://new.pipeorgandatabase.org/instruments/5265#stoplists Pilcher] organ and the largest operating pipe organ in the region.{{cite web|title=Louisville Organs - Louisville Memorial Auditorium|url=http://agolouisville.org/organ_detail.php?id=34&pos=C|website=The American Guild of Organists - Louisville Chapter|publisher=Louisville AGO|accessdate=October 8, 2015}} The instrument is sometimes referred as an orchestral pipe organ, as it includes sounds such as a French Horn, Tuba, a Cor Anglais which you often see in a symphonic orchestra. The organ contains a Tibia, which would be recognized as a large flute, which are usually found in Theater Organs. This historic four-manual instrument with 5,288 pipes has been in operation since opening. The acoustic renovation all but completely closed off the pipe chambers from the renovated hall. It has been designated a landmark by the Louisville Metro Landmarks Commission and is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Although it is now used mainly by organizations for recitals, graduations, etc., it hosted many rock concerts in the 1960s and 1970s, including The Rolling Stones, Chicago, Bruce Springsteen, and Kiss.{{cite web | url=http://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/local/2015/04/01/fans-return-stone-age-concerts/70789248/ | title=Fans return to "Stone Age" at 1964 concerts }}