Hippotheatron

The Hippotheatron was a grand, specialized performance space that once stood on East Fourteenth Street. Built in eighteen sixty-four, it was constructed primarily of corrugated and ridged iron, modeled after the Cirque d'Hiver in Paris. It was intended to be a fireproof permanent home for circus and equestrian acts in the city. The name itself comes from the Greek words for horse and theater, highlighting its original purpose as a venue where audiences could watch elaborate horse-based spectacles, ballets, and pantomimes in the heart of the city.