The Charline McCombs Empire Theatre was built in 1914 by Thomas Brady and was designed in the Victorian tradition with European elegance and opulence. The auditorium is heavily decorated with plaster wainscot moldings, ornamental medallions, bold cartouches, scrolled brackets and decorative floral detail reminiscent of a Renaissance Revival style. Six pounds of gold-leaf embellishes the remarkable plasterwork. Mahogany woodwork accents the rich color palette. In 1921, a storm producing more rain than experienced in the prior six years combined caused the San Antonio River to rise and flood the downtown area. Approximately nine feet of water drained into the theatre’s orchestra level; the plasterwork, woodwork and gold-leaf interior were damaged. The entire theatre was then painted a monotone white.

The preservation and restoration of the Charline McCombs Empire Theatre transformed the theatre into the golden-jewel of the San Antonio Performing Arts Center. The theatre’s proscenium is very high with an almost-square opening framed by an elaborate series of moldings with applied medallions. The proscenium is flanked by two square-headed openings, one on each side, heavily modeled with scrolled brackets; panels over the openings contain bold cartouches. Each opening contains three opera boxes which step down toward the stage, cantilevered on brackets decorated with volutes. Below these suspended boxes, at orchestra level, are boxes separated from the rest of the orchestra-level seating by low partitions. The soffits of the mezzanine and balcony incorporate recessed, indirect lighting fixtures trimmed with plaster moldings. The fasciae are made of heavily ornamented plaster and feature bare-bulb light fixtures set into plaster rosettes; the fasciae are topped with brass railings.

A unique feature to the Charline McCombs Empire Theatre is that the orchestra level was designed to allow for a variety of special events. Adjustable platforms, which are sound-resistant, were created specifically for the theatre; each platform can be raised or lowered to designated positions. The flexibility of the design gives the the atre multiple seating formats; the adjustable platforms not only accommodate theatre settings, but also cabaret and banquet settings as well.

The site in which the Charline McCombs Empire Theatre sits has been dedicated to theatre since 1879. Previously, the site was home to the Turner Opera House which operated as Riche’s Opera, the Houston Street Theatre, the Alhambra Theatre and the Empire Opera House.