The Antiguo Casino de Puerto Rico, located at Avenida Ponce de León 1 in

San Juan, Puerto Rico San Juan (, , ; Spanish for "Saint John") is the capital city and most populous municipality in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2020 census, it is the 57th-largest city under the jur ...

, is a Beaux Arts architecture style building dating from 1917. It was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

in 1977. and

History

Antiguo Casino de Puerto Rico Roof Sunset

The Antiguo Casino de Puerto Rico was the brainchild of a group of citizens, known as the , who requested then

San Juan San Juan, Spanish for Saint John, may refer to: Places Argentina * San Juan Province, Argentina * San Juan, Argentina, the capital of that province * San Juan, Salta, a village in Iruya, Salta Province * San Juan (Buenos Aires Underground), ...

mayor Francisco del Valle Atiles a place to establish a new social club. The building was designed by Montilla & Ferrer and construction began under the supervision of the Del Valle Zeno brothers' firm. Construction for the new building started in 1913, with a budget of $80,000. Lack of funds caused the construction to shut down. Construction restarted in 1914, with the Jiménez y Benítez engineering handling the building work. In 1915, construction was halted once again, It was restarted a year later with sculptor José Albrizzio designing the interior. The Antiguo Casino de Puerto Rico was finally inaugurated on July 24, 1917. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, the building was used as an officers' club by the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

. Shortly after the end of the war, in 1946 the building was transferred to the government of

Puerto Rico Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and Unincorporated ...

, who turned it into the Escuela Libre de Música

Ernesto Ramos Antonini Ernesto Ramos Antonini (April 24, 1898 – January 9, 1963) was the President of the House of Representatives of Puerto Rico and co-founder of the Partido Popular Democrático de Puerto Rico (Popular Democratic Party of Puerto Rico). Early yea ...

. By 1955, the school was relocated and the building became the first headquarters of the

Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña The Institute of Puerto Rican Culture ( es, Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña), or ICP, for short, is an institution of the Government of Puerto Rico responsible for the establishment of the cultural policies required in order to study, preser ...

, serving in that function until 1970. In the early 80s, the Puerto Rico Department of State converted the building into the Official Reception Center of the

Commonwealth of Puerto Rico Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and unincorporate ...

. In 2010, management of the facility was turned to the Puerto Rico Convention District Authority, a

government agency of Puerto Rico The executive branch of the government of Puerto Rico is responsible for executing the laws of Puerto Rico, as well as causing them to be executed. Article IV of the Constitution of Puerto Rico vests the executive power on the Governor—wh ...

. The Convention District Authority manages a number of facilities in the Convention Center District, in

, including the

Puerto Rico Convention Center The Dr. Pedro Rosselló González Puerto Rico Convention Center (PRCC) (or ''Centro de Convenciones de Puerto Rico Dr. Pedro Rosselló González'' in Spanish), or simply Puerto Rico Convention Center, is a convention center located in Isla Gran ...

Features

Designed in a Beaux Arts style, the Antiguo Casino features gardens, balconies, moldings, white marble floors, and a grand central staircase. One of its distinguished features is the ballroom's twelve-

foot The foot ( : feet) is an anatomical structure found in many vertebrates. It is the terminal portion of a limb which bears weight and allows locomotion. In many animals with feet, the foot is a separate organ at the terminal part of the leg made ...

chandelier A chandelier (; also known as girandole, candelabra lamp, or least commonly suspended lights) is a branched ornamental light fixture designed to be mounted on ceilings or walls. Chandeliers are often ornate, and normally use incandescent li ...

. The building is also known for its use of mirrors in the interior decoration. The building has become a popular venue for

weddings A wedding is a ceremony where two people are united in marriage. Wedding traditions and customs vary greatly between cultures, ethnic groups, religions, countries, and social classes. Most wedding ceremonies involve an exchange of marriage vo ...

, particularly destination weddings, quinceañeras and corporate events.

Gallery

Casino-de-Puerto-Rico.jpg, Image from 1921 Antiguo Casino de Puerto Rico en la noche.jpg, Antiguo Casino de Puerto Rico at night Antiguo Casino de Puerto Rico 2013.jpg, Antiguo Casino de Puerto Rico in 2013 Casino from down the street.jpg, Casino at end of nearby street

References

External links

Official Site of the Antiguo Casino de Puerto RicoOfficial Pinterest of the Antiguo Casino de Puerto RicoAntiguo Casino de Puerto Rico Brochure
{{NRHP in San Juan, Puerto Rico Buildings and structures in San Juan, Puerto Rico Buildings and structures completed in 1917 Buildings and structures on the National Register of Historic Places in Puerto Rico National Register of Historic Places in San Juan, Puerto Rico