Robinson Grand Performing Arts Center

What Robinson Grand Performing Arts Center does

Robinson Grand Performing Arts Center is a nonprofit performing arts venue operating in a 44,656 sq ft restored historic building at 444 W Pike St in downtown Clarksburg, West Virginia. Originally opened in 1913 and reopened in its current form on October 20, 2018 after a $15M+ rehabilitation supported by a $4M private capital campaign and layered Federal Historic, West Virginia State Historic, and Federal New Markets Tax Credits, the venue is run as a public-private partnership between the City of Clarksburg and the Cultural Foundation of Harrison County. The facility comprises three rentable spaces — the 1,000-seat Antero Performance Hall, the Schopp Family Ballroom (200 capacity, 1,600+ sq ft), and the Educational Center (300 capacity, 3,000+ sq ft) — and is the only restored mid-to-large performing arts venue serving the North-Central West Virginia region (Harrison, Marion, Monongalia, Upshur counties).

The venue monetizes through five streams: tiered ticket sales for concerts, comedy, films, lectures, and educational programming (typically $25-$77) distributed via its own e-commerce site (tickets.therobinsongrand.com on accesso ShoWare), a phone call center, and on-site box office; venue rentals on custom quote basis (20% non-refundable deposit) for weddings, corporate events, and private functions; a $375/year "Friends of the Robinson Grand" membership; concessions and the second-floor Yuengling Bar; and a charitable donation program including a seat-sponsorship initiative. Programming is delivered in-house by a small 1-10 person professional staff supplemented by volunteers and external touring acts, executing 125+ events per year. Educational programming is anchored by a Missoula Children's Theatre summer residency casting 50-60 local K-12 students.

Distribution is direct-to-consumer across owned digital channels (website, email newsletter, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube) plus physical box office and phone. The center holds no patents, employs no proprietary AI, and operates with no venture or private equity ownership — donors including Antero Resources, Dominion Energy, The Thrasher Group, Steptoe & Johnson, and local families provided capital campaign funding but no equity. The business has won regional design/civic awards and an "Outstanding Community Impact Award" for revitalizing downtown Clarksburg.

Name

Robinson Grand Performing Arts Center

Legal name

Robinson Grand Performing Arts Center

Website

https://therobinsongrand.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Robinson Grand Performing Arts Center is a nonprofit, 1,000-seat restored historic venue in Clarksburg, WV, hosting 125+ live entertainment and private events annually for North-Central West Virginia communities across ticketed performances, venue rentals, and arts-education programming.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts Venue

NAICS

Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (711110), Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries (711)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Motion Picture Theaters (7830)

akta.pro primary industry

Theater & Performing Arts Venue Operations (Playhouses, Opera Houses) (MPAGALAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Multipurpose Event Center Operations (Civic Centers, Community Event Complexes) (MPAGALAE), Concert Halls & Music Venue Operations (Symphony Halls, Recital Venues) (MPAGALAC)

Keywords

• Live entertainment venue
• Performing arts center
• Event venue rentals
• Historic theater
• Arts education programming

Headquarters

HQ city

Clarksburg

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Revenue from selling tickets to concerts, plays, movies, comedy shows, and other live performances. Tickets sold online, by phone, and at box office.
2. Venue Rentals: Rental income from three unique spaces: Performance Hall (1,000 capacity), Schopp Family Ballroom (200 capacity), and Educational Center (300 capacity). Used for weddings, corporate events, private functions. Requires 20% non-refundable deposit.
3. Membership Program: Annual Friends of the Robinson Grand membership at $375 per year, offering early ticket access, free movie tickets, and 15% off venue rentals.
4. Donations & Capital Campaign: Charitable donations from individuals, foundations, and corporations to support operational funding and capital improvements. Capital campaign raised nearly $4 million in private contributions.
5. Concessions & Bar Services: Revenue from food and beverage service including the second-floor lounge and Yuengling Bar.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

The Robinson Grand Performing Arts Center is a fully restored 1913 historic theater in Clarksburg, WV that presents live performances (concerts, plays, musicals, comedy, movies, lectures, dance) and rents out three event spaces — the 1,000-seat Antero Performance Hall, the Schopp Family Ballroom (200 capacity), and the Educational Center (300 capacity) — for weddings, corporate events, and private functions, supported by ticketing, concessions, an annual membership program, and youth arts education such as the Missoula Children's Theatre summer residency.

Product overview

Robinson Grand Performing Arts Center is a fully restored historic theater dating back to 1913, operating as a multi-purpose entertainment venue. The venue offers a unified platform of three distinct rental spaces: the Antero Performance Hall (1,000-seat main theater), the Schopp Family Ballroom (1,600+ sq. ft. historic event space), and the Educational Center (3,000+ sq. ft. multi-purpose room). Supporting services include ticketing operations via accesso ShoWare, a Friends of the Robinson Grand membership program, and comprehensive venue rental management for weddings, corporate events, and social gatherings. The center executes over 125 events per year and serves as the premier cultural destination in North-Central West Virginia.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Antero Performance Hall The main 1,000-seat performance hall of the Robinson Grand Performing Arts Center, equipped with state-of-the-art lighting, sound systems, high-definition projectors, stage rigging, curtains, and an orchestra pit, plus on-site dressing rooms, green rooms with kitchenettes, lockers, lounge areas, and 40 vanity stations for performers. Used for the venue's own ticketed concerts, plays, musicals, comedy, lectures, and dance programs as well as for rental by external event organizers.
• Schopp Family Ballroom A historic 1,600+ sq. ft. event space featuring original 1939 hardwood floors, wall-to-wall windows with marquee views, backlit art deco glass panels, an arched cloud ceiling, two high-definition projectors and screens, four marketing screens, a sound system, a catering kitchen, and a family restroom. Hosts up to 200 guests for weddings, receptions, and private functions.
• Educational Center A 3,000+ sq. ft. multi-purpose space with adjoining restrooms and a prep kitchen, suitable for corporate training, class reunions, wedding receptions, and various events, featuring LED uplighting capability. Accommodates up to 300 guests.
• Venue Rental Services Rental of the venue's three spaces (Performance Hall, Schopp Family Ballroom, Educational Center) for weddings, corporate events, social gatherings, and private functions, with on-site management, custom graphic design, and digital marquee feature services. Requires a 20% non-refundable deposit with custom quote-based pricing.
• Ticketing Services Ticket sales and distribution for the venue's own concerts, plays, movies, comedy shows, and other live performances, sold through the online platform tickets.therobinsongrand.com, the phone call center at (855) 773-6283, and the on-site box office, all powered by the accesso ShoWare ticketing system with tiered seating (Premium, Tier 1, Tier 2, Tier 3) per event.
• Friends of the Robinson Grand Membership

Quantifiable outcome

• 125+ events executed per year
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• City of ClarksburgcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014In 2014, the City of Clarksburg acquired the building and created a public-private partnership with The Cultural Foundation of Harrison County and others to undertake rehabilitation into a performing arts center. Project began January 2017, Grand Opening October 2018.
• The Cultural Foundation of Harrison CountycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Nonprofit foundation partner in public-private partnership to restore the Robinson Grand. Members of Friends of the Robinson Grand receive membership with the Cultural Foundation. Major capital campaign donor at $25,000+ level.
• WYK Associates, Inc.coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2014Local Clarksburg architectural firm led the restoration and additions effort from 2014-2019. Project won numerous design and civic awards for architectural and preservation excellence. Also presents The Side Door Club series.
• accessocoreTechnology or Integrationaccesso ShoWare live-event ticketing software provider. Official ticketing system powering tickets.therobinsongrand.com with online ticket sales, account management, and box office functionality.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• The Garde Arts Center: Historic restored performing arts venue in New London, CT, operating a 1,600-seat Moorish Revival theater with year-round programming in music, dance, film, and family entertainment. Highly comparable operating model: historic restoration, multi-stream revenue (tickets, rentals, memberships, donations), and regional cultural destination positioning.
• Tennessee Theatre: Knoxville, TN historic 1928 movie palace restored as a performing arts venue operated by a nonprofit (Knoxville Community Development Corporation). Comparable historic restoration approach, mid-sized regional market positioning, and similar mixed programming including concerts, films, and community events.
• American Music Theatre: Lancaster, PA-based 1,600-seat performing arts venue featuring tribute concerts, Broadway-style shows, and year-round programming. Directly comparable in scale (~1,000-1,600 seats), tribute/nostalgia programming mix, and nonprofit regional cultural destination model.
• Durham Performing Arts Center (DPAC): Mid-sized (~2,700 seat) performing arts center in Durham, NC operated by a nonprofit presenting Broadway tours, concerts, comedy, and family shows. Comparable mixed-use venue model with tiered seating, premium concessions, and private rental capability in a regional market.
• Midland Theatre (Kansas City): Historic 1927 movie palace in Kansas City, MO restored as a live event venue hosting concerts, comedy, and private events. Comparable historic restoration, mixed ticketed and rental programming, and tiered seating model.
• Tarrytown Music Hall: Historic 1885 theater in Tarrytown, NY operating as a nonprofit regional performing arts venue with year-round concerts, films, and community events. Comparable in scale (~800-1,000 seats), historic preservation focus, and small-staff nonprofit operating model.
• Palace Theatre (Columbus): Historic 1,900-seat Palace Theatre in Columbus, OH operated by a nonprofit presenting Broadway, concerts, comedy, and family programming. Highly comparable historic restoration, tiered seating, multi-stream revenue, and donor-supported operating model.

Broad incumbents

• Carnegie Hall: Iconic New York City performing arts venue with three halls (largest ~2,800 seats) operated by a nonprofit. While operating in a far larger and more prestigious market, it shares the nonprofit, donor-supported, multi-program performing arts model and serves as a benchmark for institutional performing arts operations.

Others

• accesso Technology Group: Provider of the ShoWare ticketing platform used by Robinson Grand for ticket sales and event management. Adjacent enabling technology partner rather than a competitor — relevant because the ticketing infrastructure shapes Robinson Grand's direct-to-consumer commerce capability and visitor data.

Regional players

• Clay Center for the Arts and Sciences: Charleston, WV-based performing arts and sciences venue serving the broader West Virginia region. Operates a multi-disciplinary arts complex similar to Robinson Grand's integrated venue model, but with larger scale and a broader science/education component. Most directly comparable due to shared West Virginia geography and nonprofit performing arts mission.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/Robinson_Grand
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCD9Hbpji-HTEhJtFrZyt1Aw
• Facebookfacebook.com/RobinsonGrand
• Instagraminstagram.com/robinson_grand
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/robinson-grand-performing-arts-center

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Robinson Grand Performing Arts Center