Cultural Hall

LOCATION: Main Street

All Sites, Tours, Shows, and Rides at Historic Nauvoo are FREE!
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The Cultural or Masonic Hall. Today 'Rendezvous in Old Nauvoo' can be seen year round, and 'Just Plain Anna Amanda' throughout the Summer

The Cultural Hall, also known as the Masonic Hall, was built under the direction of Lucius Scovil, owner of the bakery next door. It served as a community and cultural center for the Latter-day Saints. The Hall had twenty-six different uses, including plays and concerts, church and business meetings, funerals, and court sessions. Brigham Young performed in the first play here.

The Nauvoo Masonic Lodge met on the third floor. This room was also used for banquets and dances. As the Saints were preparing to leave Nauvoo, they removed the benches from the first floor and used the Hall to build wagon boxes for the trek west. After the Saints left, the Hall was sold at a sheriff’s auction for $4.47.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints repurchased the building in 1967. The top story had been removed, but the original floor was still intact. Many years of research went into the restoration, and the building appears today much as it did in the 1840s. It was rededicated in 1982.

The third floor is where the Nauvoo Masonic Lodge met and many other community activities were held

Every evening except Sunday, visitors will see a performance of “Rendezvous in Old Nauvoo,” a musical play presented by senior tour guides. In the summer you can also catch a performance of the children’s play, “Just Plain Anna-Amanda.” Upstairs, one may view a beautiful collection of antique quilts. When visitors enter the third floor, they can almost hear the music playing in the balcony and imagine such men as Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, John Taylor, and Wilford Woodruff dancing with their wives.