Architect Gottfied Semper built the first theater at the same place, but it burned down in 1869. The Semper Opera House was suggested as a replacement. At the entrance stands a statue of Schiller and Goethe.
The building was bombed during the war and only the outer wall remained standing. In 1985, the opera was put back into operation fully restored.
The interior of the building is worth seeing, one big attraction being the five meters tall chandelier.