A celebration for the newly renovated Ellis Theater, the centerpiece of Marty Stuart’s Congress of Country Music, was held in downtown Philadelphia on Wednesday. 

Guests were invited to sign the final steel beam, marking a major milestone in Phase I construction of Marty Stuart’s Congress of Country Music.

“Being part of a project that brings life back to the Ellis and creates an environment of goodwill within the community is incredibly meaningful to me,” said Stuart said in a news release. “So many people in Philadelphia have memories of going to movies at the Ellis. The films I saw here growing up fueled my imagination and lit dreams in my heart that are still alive to this day.”

With the completion of the Ellis Theater renovation, construction of the $30 million project is well underway.

Once completed, Marty Stuart’s Congress of Country Music will create a 50,000+ square foot campus featuring the Ellis Theater, a newly constructed museum, classrooms, community hall, meeting and event space, and a rooftop performance venue.

With more than 20,000 items, Stuart’s collection of country music artifacts is the largest private collection of its kind in the world. 

“The Ellis stage will be home to live concerts, Arts Council productions that give local kids a voice, television tapings, film premiers and festivals, Country Music Trail Marker induction ceremonies, and much more,” said Stuart. “These gatherings at the Congress of Country Music will live on to inspire generations to come.”

Included in the Congress of Country Music is the Marty Stuart Center, an inviting setting which will offer an educational curriculum focused on using music to encourage learning, critical thinking, and self-expression in students.