Ravinia Announces Record $38M Gift For Martin Theatre Renovation

HIGHLAND PARK, IL — Ravinia Festival announced a $38 million gift from The Negaunee Foundation to renovate the historic Martin Theatre, the only remaining original building on the campus from 1904.

Ravinia said the gift is the largest in the festival’s history and will fund upgrades to the theater just inside the park’s main gate.

The announcement follows the opening of the newly renovated Hunter Pavilion and is part of Ravinia’s broader stage renovation plan ahead of its 125th anniversary in 2029.

“Ravinia is a premier summer destination for music. To best position Ravinia to thrive for future generations and an ever-expanding range of artists and audiences, we announced an ambitious plan two years ago to renovate our stages leading up to our 125th anniversary in 2029. We just completed two of our six stages: converting the Sandra K. Crown Theater in 2025 for live music performances and unveiling the $70 million state-of-the-art Hunter Pavilion renovation to critical acclaim this summer,” said Jeffrey P. Haydon, President and CEO of Ravinia Festival.

Haydon said the Martin Theatre project is expected to be finished by July 2028.

According to Ravinia, the renovation will include a new mobile acoustic shell, modernized lighting and rigging systems, upgraded dressing rooms and technical spaces, new seating with greater row depth, a cross-aisle and new box seats. The project also includes upgraded restrooms, improvements to mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems, and exterior repairs, while preserving features including stained glass windows that inspired Ravinia’s logo and the Hunter Pavilion’s acoustic shell.

“The Martin Theatre holds a very special place in Ravinia's history, and maintaining those elements that make it such a treasure was paramount in the foundation's choice to fund this project. Much like the recent renovation of Ravinia's Hunter Pavilion, I know great thought will go into bringing the theater up to today's building and accessibility standards while honoring its nostalgic place in music lovers' hearts,” Haydon said.

Ravinia said the design phase is complete and construction will begin in October after the 2026 season ends Sept. 23. As with the Hunter Pavilion project, work will be completed in two phases, with a pause for performances during the 2027 summer season. Future phases of the Setting the Stages campaign will include renovation of the outdoor Carousel Stage and updates to Bennett Gordon Hall.