Organized in 1862, the Grandel Theatre at 3610 Grandel Square started out as First Congregational Church, which opened it's doors in 1884.

Architect Lewis Frederick Rice designed the church in the Romanesque Revival Style. Through the first part of the 20th Century the church passed through the hands of several Congregations before closing its doors.

For many years the church sat dormant until 1989 when Grand Center, Inc. bought the church, and embarked on a $3.5 million conversion of the church into a 450-seat state-of-the-art theatre. With help from several foundations and private donors, the "Grandel Theatre" opened its doors and became the mainstage for the St. Louis Black Repertory Company in 1992.

Today the Grandel is a theatre that has hosted national acts, such as, "Late Night Catechism" which enjoyed a four-month long run at the Grandel in 2003. "Triple Espresso" ran for several weeks on the stages of the Grandel Theatre. The Grandel Theatre is also the official home of the award-winning Saint Louis Black Repertory Company, and is the performance venue for several other mid-sized arts companies.

In addition to the Mainstage, the Grandel has an upstairs banquet facility, The Grand Hall, which is available for rental at certain times during the year. Please call 314-781-0243 or send an e-mail to karencateringplus@msn.com for more information about renting The Grand Hall.