Over its 90-plus years, the Afonso Henriques Theatre was the central venue for entertainment in Guimarães, hosting a wide variety of performances that fulfilled the cultural needs of the city.

Its performances and shows influenced the development of the surrounding area, mainly by partly aiding the construction of the Santos Passos Church.

[3] On 31 May 1855, it was reported the construction of the theatre was being accelerated so its inauguration could occur on the night of the succession of King Pedro V.[8] This theatre was inaugurated with a masquerade ball on 12 August 1855,[9] and was baptized with the name of Portugal's first king, Afonso Henriques, making official the name Theatro Dom Affonso Henriques, later modified due to various orthographic reforms.

[2] The theatre, similar to its predecessor, also contributed to the completion of the Santos Passos Church by donating funds received from plays and magic lantern slide shows.

This logbook revealed the theatre was frequently rented for a variety of events, including theatrical shows, masquerade balls, and both dramatic and comedic plays.

[17] The Afonso Henriques Theatre was also the place where students gathered on 21 November 1895 to revive the Nicolinas festivities after decades of non-existence.

In November 1919, businessman Luís do Souto transformed the old theatre into a fully operational cinema,[19] named "Vimaranes-Cine", ignoring the already unfavorable conditions present at the time.

This decree, made by the Ministry of Internal Administration,[20] granted authorization to the Câmara municipal of Guimarães to expropriate the Afonso Henrique Theatre, to extend the S. Dâmaso Street to the Campo da Feira.

[21] On 18 February 1936, the Câmara Municipal of Guimarães met in extraordinary session to create a solution to the lack of a proper theatre in the city.

One day it'll all fall down and poor of those who are having a party inside when that happens.The theatre ceased activities and was closed in 1936,[17][22] however, in September of the same year, it was temporarily repurposed to house families whose homes were going to be demolished on a project to restore the area in and around the Guimarães Castle and the Paço dos Duques,[23][24] and could not afford to buy a new one.

[26] On 29 July 1938, it was announced at the O Comércio de Guimarães that the theatre had become a "shameful inn", and would be indefinitely closed after the relocation of said families.