This is a beautiful and very important theater for the city of Oaxaca. The teather was constructed during the late 19th century. It was built during the Porfirian era in Mexico, which was an era when Mexico was ruled under a dictatorship. Coincidentally, some of the best theaters in Mexico were built during his reign such as the Degollado Theater in Guadalajara and the Juarez Theater in Guanajuato.

The theater used to be named,“Luis Mier y Teran”, however the name was changed to “Macedonio Alcala” in 1932 in honor of a famous regional composer famous for writing the waltz,“Dios Nunca Muere”, or God never dies. That song is considered the unofficial hymn for the people of Oaxaca.