The Tabernacle is an Atlanta institution rich in history. In recent years performers like Guns N’ Roses, Adele, and Bob Dylan have graced its stage; but before it was a concert venue, The Tabernacle served as both a church and a hospital.
In 1898, Dr. Len G. Broughton became pastor of Third Baptist Church in Atlanta. Within a year he had founded a new Baptist Tabernacle church on the southwest corner of Luckie and Harris streets (now the middle of Centennial Olympic Park). In 1906, Broughton saw the need to expand the building, and bought land closer to the city center, the current location of the Tabernacle. The original design for the new church included three additional buildings for nurses corridors and a hospital. In 1910 Georgia Baptist Medical Center and nursing school was opened, with as the Tabernacle infirmary having only three beds. The church itself opened in September 1911.
The Tabernacle served as a church until 1994, when the congregation chose to sell the building. It was then converted into a House of Blues club for the 1996 Olympics by Lance Sterling and Isaac Tigrett. The first musical act to perform at the House of Blues was The Blues Brothers. Throughout the Olympics performers like James Cotton, Johnny Cash and Bob Dylan took to the stage, giving the theater an air of notoriety. After the Olympics the House of Blues continued in Atlanta with performances by Hall and Oates among others.
In 1998, the House of Blues lease expired, but Sterling continued his relationship with the city, leasing the building for 30 years and renaming it The Tabernacle; the venue we know today. Sterling sold the business to Live Nation in 1999, and Live Nation continues to run The Tabernacle today. The venue also has the downstairs Cotton Room, as well as private spaces for special events for 50 to 2,652 guests.
The Tabernacle has been a fixture in Atlanta culture for over one hundred years. It continues to hold its place a premiere venue and draws world famous talents. For more information about the venue, its shows and policies, check out www.tabernacleATL.com.
Check out who’s coming to The Tabernacle this month!
Mastodon Tour with Gojira and Kvelertak – 11/07/2014 – Get Tickets
PRIMUS – 11/08/2014 – Get Tickets
INTERPOL – 11/10/2014 – Get Tickets
JOHN BUTLER TRIO – 11/14/2014 – Get Tickets
CROWDER – 11/15/2014 – Get Tickets
LECRAE – 11/21/2014 – Get Tickets
Scion Presents Slayer with Special Guests Suicidal Tendencies & Exodus – 11/22/2014 – Get Tickets
BLACKBERRY SMOKE – 11/28/2014 – Get Tickets
Live Nation Presents The 1975 – 11/29/2014 – Get Tickets
