1789
The Indian Queen Hotel was built in 1789, popularized by sailors from visiting ships.
July 4, 1797
A celebration of US freedom is held at a space in the hotel know as the Queen of Otaheite Tavern, named after the South Pacific island that had been visited by a Wilmington whaling vessel.
1829
Martin Van Buren, seven years prior
to his Presidential election, visits The Queen
1847
Despite harsh economic conditions, hotel proprietor John Hall doubles the Queen’s capacity by making it three stories high.
March 25, 1871
Artisan’s Bank and the First National Bank of Wilmington buy the Indian Queen as a combination headquarters, but decide to upgrade it to a first-class hotel, the Clayton House, at a price tag of $200,000. An additional two stories were added, bringing the building’s total height to five stories.
1916
The Clayton House gives way to a $250,000 movie theatre with enough seating in the auditorium and on the balcony for 2,000 people.
April 1959
The movie theatre closes, showing House on Haunted Hill as its final film. The Queen remains dark for five decades.
2008
Wilmington-based real estate developers, the Buccini/Pollin Group, and the City of Wilmington discuss restoring The Queen into a fully operational performing-arts venue centered around live music. A deal is met and fundraising efforts for the $25 million project get underway.
October 2009
Construction begins on The Queen, a 45,000 square foot theatre and live music venue with a spring 2011 opening date announced.
2010
Benefit concerts held by Light Up The Queen Foundation feature Wilmington resident David Bromberg and New Orleans native Trombone Shorty, who perform on the roof of the nearby ShopRite.
November 2010
Demolition reveals three 10′ x 18′ murals still in excellent condition. Representing beauty, painting, and music, the murals were obstructed by soundproofing panels when The Queen was converted from a hotel to a theatre.
April 1, 2011
The Queen opens its doors. The rest, as they say, is history. Since opening, The Queen has hosted noble live music with artists including: St. Vincent, Ben Harper, Ingrid Michaelson, Brian McKnight, Bob Mould, Animal Collective, Neutral Milk Hotel, Courtney Barnett, Dead Milkmen and Biz Markie.
1789
The Indian Queen Hotel was built in 1789, popularized by sailors from visiting ships.
July 4, 1797
A celebration of US freedom is held at a space in the hotel know as the Queen of Otaheite Tavern, named after the South Pacific island that had been visited by a Wilmington whaling vessel.
1829
Martin Van Buren, seven years prior
to his Presidential election, visits The Queen
1847
Despite harsh economic conditions, hotel proprietor John Hall doubles the Queen’s capacity by making it three stories high.
March 25, 1871
Artisan’s Bank and the First National Bank of Wilmington buy the Indian Queen as a combination headquarters, but decide to upgrade it to a first-class hotel, the Clayton House, at a price tag of $200,000. An additional two stories were added, bringing the building’s total height to five stories.
1916
The Clayton House gives way to a $250,000 movie theatre with enough seating in the auditorium and on the balcony for 2,000 people.
April 1959
The movie theatre closes, showing House on Haunted Hill as its final film. The Queen remains dark for five decades.
2008
Wilmington-based real estate developers, the Buccini/Pollin Group, and the City of Wilmington discuss restoring The Queen into a fully operational performing-arts venue centered around live music. A deal is met and fundraising efforts for the $25 million project get underway.
October 2009
Construction begins on The Queen, a 45,000 square foot theatre and live music venue with a spring 2011 opening date announced.
2010
Benefit concerts held by Light Up The Queen Foundation feature Wilmington resident David Bromberg and New Orleans native Trombone Shorty, who perform on the roof of the nearby ShopRite.
November 2010
Demolition reveals three 10′ x 18′ murals still in excellent condition. Representing beauty, painting, and music, the murals were obstructed by soundproofing panels when The Queen was converted from a hotel to a theatre.
April 1, 2011
The Queen opens its doors. The rest, as they say, is history. Since opening, The Queen has hosted noble live music with artists including: St. Vincent, Ben Harper, Ingrid Michaelson, Brian McKnight, Bob Mould, Animal Collective, Neutral Milk Hotel, Courtney Barnett, Dead Milkmen and Biz Markie.
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F.A.Q.

Address for Navigating By Car, Uber or Lyft: 500 N. Market Street – Wilmington, DE, 19801 

By Train: Amtrak & Septa runs hourly/every 2 hours. 

Street Parking
Street parking is free on nights (after 5pm) and weekends, meaning it’s free for most shows! The City of Wilmington partners with Parkmobile to allow customers to pay for parking from their phones at approximately 1,000 on-street meters downtown. Customers can pay for parking by using Parkmobile’s smartphone app or by calling 1-877-727-5758.

Colonial Parking – Renaissance Centre Garage
E 5th St & N King St, Wilmington, DE 19801

This parking garage is conveniently located right next to the venue on 5th Street, between Market & King. Many restaurants (and the Delaware History Museum) are within walking distance. The garage has an attendant on duty during hours of operation.

Hours: Mon-Thu 7AM – 12AM | Fri 7AM – 1AM | Sat 10AM – 1AM | Sun – events only.

Daily Rate: $1.00 every 20 minutes | Max Daily Rate: $13.00
Pay at exit. Pay machine available for after-hours or no-contact use (bring coin with you for after-hours entry!).

 

 

Tickets can be purchased through our website, with Ticketmaster directly, or in person at our box office. 

The Queen’s Box Office is located in the front of the venue on 500 N Market Street, Wilmington, DE. 

The box office is open every Wednesday from 2PM-6PM, plus, 30 mins prior to the start of all shows.

The Queen’s official ticketing partners are Ticketmaster & Universe. Tickets purchased at the Box Office do not include online Ticketmaster service fees.

Please note, our venue does not guarantee entry from tickets purchased through 3rd party providers. Please only buy resale tickets through the Ticketmaster platform or from individuals you personally know and trust. If purchasing from an individual, tickets must be transferred to you through the TM app. Printed tickets or screenshots of entry codes will not be accepted. The TM app has built-in security measures to prevent illegal reproduction of tickets and QRs are frequently regenerated. The Queen is not responsible for tickets purchased from 3rd party providers. 

The Queen team is here to ensure all of our guests are accommodated and have the best experience at our venue! All of our events include a seated wheelchair-accessible ADA section. Simply notify any of our staff that you are in need of ADA seats upon arrival and we will direct you to that area. If you are in need of additional assistance, please reach out so we can accommodate you properly.

We don’t currently offer food, but we do encourage you to support our local restaurant partners. Our area of Market St. boasts some of Wilmington’s best chefs, known far and wide!

Bardea Food & Drink
Bardea Steak
Farmer & The Cow
La Fia
Merchant Bar
Oath 84
The Quoin
Chelsea Tavern
Stitch House Brewery

No outside food and beverage , weapons of any kind, or smoking/vaping indoors are allowed in the venue. We do allow outside food for most shows in The Crown. 

Please visit our box office during open hours or contact our box office manager to retrieve your ticket. If it was purchased online, you can always reprint a ticket through Ticketmaster or use digital entry in the Ticketmaster app.

All sales are final. We don’t issue any refunds unless a show is canceled or postponed.

We do not endorse or accept secondary ticketing platforms that are sold through sites other than Ticketmaster or Universe. Add-on tickets are sometimes available through artist fan club websites for pre-sale and meet & greet packages, for example, but do not constitute admission to a show.

Our venue does not guarantee entry from tickets purchased through 3rd party providers. Please only buy resale tickets through the Ticketmaster platform or from individuals you personally know and trust. If purchasing from an individual, tickets must be transferred to you through the TM app. Printed tickets or screenshots of entry codes will not be accepted. The TM app has built-in security measures to prevent illegal reproduction of tickets and QRs are frequently regenerated.

The Queen is not responsible for tickets purchased from 3rd party providers. 

Yes, we process refunds for canceled events. Please reach out to our box office manager or visit our box office during open hours if your refund is not received.

Our seating structure varies from show to show. If seated tickets are available, you will be able to choose a specific seat, or the ticket description will clearly state “seated”. Most General Admission tickets do not include a seat. Certain shows will have VIP tickets available for purchase online as a separate ticket option. Occasionally, day of upgrades may become available night of show.

We do have an ADA section for those requiring a seat due to disability. Please alert a staff member upon arrival if you have an ADA request and they will point you to the appropriate area.

Personal photos and videos are allowed unless specifically noted upon purchasing tickets or entry to the venue. Professional photography is not allowed without prior written approval for most shows. 

We do allow outside food into the venue for shows in The Crown. No outside food or beverage may be brought into main hall. Weapons of any kind and smoking or vaping indoors are strictly prohibited.  We have an amnesty box at all shows at the front entrance where certain items can be left for the duration of a show. Smoking is allowed in our smoking section outdoors – please ask staff to direct you to that area.

Our main goal is to ensure the safety and comfort of all of our guests and artists. With venue security throughout the facility, we are prepared to assist in any way possible to ensure you are safe and comfortable during your experience with us. 

When arriving at The Queen, please plan on a security checkpoint which may include metal detector wanding and/or a physical pat down. All bags are subject to inspection. Please see previous section for items not allowed inside the venue. 

While we do not have specific measurement requirements for bags, under certain circumstances, we may require patrons to check large bags at coat check.

Unless otherwise stated, re-entry is not permitted during shows at The Queen, so please ensure you have all items needed for the event before entering the venue.

No smoking or vaping is allowed in the venue. It is only allowed in our smoking section outdoors – please ask staff to direct you to that area.

A tour of the venue can be set up through our Private Events department or by emailing info@thequeenwilmington.com.

Interested in joining The Queen team? Please click here for employment opportunities:

https://www.indeed.com/cmp/The-Queen-Wilmington/jobs

Looking for a legendary venue that you and your guests will never forget? Come party at The Queen.