Nicknamed "The Showplace of the Nation", Radio City Music Hall opened its doors to the public on December 27, 1932 in NYC's Rockefeller Center (Today in History).

Radio City Music Hall was to be a palace for the people. A place of beauty offering high-quality entertainment at prices ordinary people could afford. It was intended to entertain and amuse, but also to elevate and inspire. -msg.com

Take a look at these cool vintage shots of Radio City Music Hall:

The Grand Hall

Back in the day, this vintage shot took a total of five different cameras to create the finished composite (Radio City Music Hall via Facebook). Talk about a grand hall, just look at those arches.

April, 1961

Many commenters on Radio City Music Hall's Facebook post attribute the long lines to the Easter and Christmas shows Radio City holds annually.

Hustle and Bustle

The venue asked Facebook viewers what year they thought this photo was taken... While no official answer was given, the comments agree it's sometime in the late 50's/early 60's (Radio City Music Hall via Facebook).

Vintage Light Board Operator

This shot by Herbert Gehr/The LIFE Images Collection/Getty Images illustrates a light board operator in action during the year 1942.

There's a marvel to behold in every corner of The Showplace of the Nation. -Radio City Music Hall via Facebook

The Christmas Spectacular

In this photo from 1944, you can see the lengthy lines people had to wait in for the Christmas Spectacular, a longtime favorite tradition of many American families. Things haven't changed much as Facebook commenters agree the lines are still long, but worth it! (Radio City Music Hall via Facebook).

Backstage with The Rockettes

Here you can see the Rockettes and their producer Leon Leonidoff playing with a prop train backstage in 1951 (Rockettes via Facebook). The Rockettes are perhaps the most famously known precision dance group, and Radio City Music Hall has seen them perform thousands of times in the last century. Read more about their history here.

Even the Carpet has History

Famous textile designer Ruth Reeves created the iconic carpet that complements the Hall's musical events by including abstract illustrations of musical instruments into the design of the carpet (Radio City Music Hall via Facebook). Here, you can see her hard at work.

To Kill a Mockingbird Premiere

Among hundreds of other films that made their debut at Radio City Music Hall, To Kill a Mockingbird premiered at the venue in 1962. According to their Facebook post, Gregory Peck, AKA Atticus Finch, was actually an usher at Radio City a little over a decade prior to the film's release. Who knew?

The Historic Guestbook

Every performer who comes to Radio City Music Hall gets to sign the guest book (Radio City Music Hall via Facebook), just imagine how many famous names are in there from years past! Here, you can see John Mayer taking his turn.

For more history on Radio City Music Hall, visit its Historical Biography.

Exposed! Secret Apartment Inside Radio City Music Hall

Let's take a look inside the hidden apartment

7 Beloved Music Venues We Miss in the Capital Region

The Capital Region has always had a very rich music scene. Whether its punk, hardcore, hip hop, folk or straight up rock, there were a number of venues in the area that hosted some pretty big names over the years. Here are a few you may have frequented growing up in the area.