This Iconic Albany Venue Wasn’t Always Known As The Egg! What Was It?

We have some one of the most unique performance theatres in the entire country, the Egg! Over the years the likes of Gregg Allman, Brandi Carlile, Chris Cornell and Cheap Trick have performed at this classic venue. No yoke!

Whether it's the 400-seater or the 1,000 capacity Hart Theatre, we have been attending shows at The Egg in Albany for decades, or have we? Did you know the name of this architectural wonder was originally something other than the Egg?

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If you search for this particular venue online you will find the listings and venue info at theegg.org. So, no dispute that this is indeed the Egg but it was not always referred to by this name.

According to All Over Albany, the original name had more to do with the intended use of this building. So, not only was this not the egg at the start but it wasn't even home to performance venues.

The New York State Office of General Services reports that the Egg was intended to be a place where city and state officials could meet to discuss official business and therefore the original name was to be 'The Meeting Center'.

Nelson Rockefeller, New York's Governor at the time, was having breakfast with the Empire State Plaza' architect when plans were hatched to create a curved structure to offset the vertical design of the other buildings on the plaza. Using a grapefruit to illustrate the vision, plans were laid.

Who named it the Egg? You did! Residents of the Capital Region kept referring to it as the egg and it simply stuck.