Opened in 1927, the Golden Theatre was designed by Herbert J. Krapp in a Spanish style and was built for real-estate developer Irwin S. Chanin.

The Golden, Majestic, and Bernard B. Jacobs theaters, along with the Lincoln Hotel, were all developed by Chanin and designed by Krapp as part of a theater/hotel complex.

It adjoins six other theaters: the Bernard B. Jacobs, Gerald Schoenfeld, and Booth to the east; the Broadhurst and Shubert to the southeast; and the Majestic to the south.

[16] It was part of an entertainment complex along with the Lincoln Hotel and the Majestic and Royale theaters, which were also designed by Krapp in a Spanish style.

[24] The stage door is to the right, or east, of the main facade and is shared with the Majestic and Bernard B. Jacobs theaters.

[30] The orchestra floor is raked, and the eastern wall is curved inward due to the presence of the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre next door.

[29] The balcony level is divided into front and rear sections by an aisle halfway across its depth, where ornate metal railings surround the staircases.

[37][40] By October 1926, the Chanins had decided to construct and operate a theatrical franchise "in New York and half a dozen other large cities in the United States".

[43][45][39] In March 1926, Krapp filed plans with the New York City Department of Buildings for the hotel and theaters, which were projected to cost $4.5 million.

[59][b] The opening of the Majestic, Masque, and Royale signified the westward extension of the traditional Broadway theater district, as well as an expansion of the Chanins' theatrical developments.

[62][63] Each of the Chanin theaters was intended for a different purpose: the 1,800-seat Majestic for "revues and light operas", the 1,200-seat Royale for "musical comedies", and the 800-seat Masque for "intimate" plays.

[75] Relations, a comedy by Edward Clark,[76][77] was the only production in 1928 to run more than 100 performances, though Scarlet Fox and Young Love both came close.

[78][79][80] In exchange, the Shuberts sold a parcel of land on the Upper West Side to the Chanins,[78][80] who bought several adjacent lots and developed the Century apartment building there.

[84] John Drinkwater's Bird in Hand premiered at the Masque that December, and it relocated within a month, eventually playing 500 performances.

[90][91] It was succeeded the next year by the DuBose Heyward drama Brass Ankle;[90][92] a short run of The Venetian;[93][94] and Norman Krasna's comedy Louder, Please.

[103] A representative of the Shubert family bought the rights to operate the theaters for $700,000,[104] but the Bankers Securities Corporation retained a half interest.

[105] The Holmeses of Baker Street, which opened in December 1936,[106] was the last show to be produced at the Masque before the theater changed names.

[107] At the end of the month, producer John Golden leased the Masque,[108][109] with plans to renovate the theater and rename it after himself.

[105] During the mid-1940s, the Golden presented numerous mediocre plays,[126] including The Rich Full Life and Dunnigan's Daughter in 1945, as well as January Thaw and I Like It Here in 1946.

[133] That year, the Golden hosted a moderate hit, The Velvet Glove with Grace George and Walter Hampden,[134][135] as well as the flop Let's Make an Opera, which had five performances.

[133] In 1972, The Public Theater presented David Rabe's Sticks and Bones,[174][175] starring Elizabeth Wilson and Tom Aldredge for 245 performances.

[170][176] Sammy Cahn featured in the revue Words and Music in 1974,[177][178] while Shirley Knight appeared the next year in Kennedy's Children.

[179][180] Two major productions opened in 1977: Dirty Linen & New-Found-Land, a pair of plays by Tom Stoppard,[181][182] and The Gin Game, a Pulitzer Prize-winning tragicomedy by Donald L. Coburn with 517 performances.

[185][186] In 1980, the Golden hosted a short revival of Watch on the Rhine,[181][187][188] followed by the premiere of the double bill A Day in Hollywood / A Night in the Ukraine.

[239][240] As part of a settlement with the United States Department of Justice in 2003, the Shuberts agreed to improve disabled access at their 16 landmarked Broadway theaters, including the Golden.

[241][242] The musical Avenue Q, transferred from off-Broadway, opened at the Golden on July 31, 2003,[243][244] and became a major hit, recovering its production cost within a year.

[247] Subsequently, the Golden hosted Oleanna in late 2009; Red and Driving Miss Daisy in 2010; The Normal Heart and Seminar in 2011; and Anarchist in 2012.

Russo's company removed many later modifications, and they also restored the original appearance using historical pictures, as well as details inspired by structures such as the Taj Mahal.

These included Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike and A Time to Kill in 2013; Mothers and Sons and A Delicate Balance in 2014, Skylight and a revival of The Gin Game in 2015; and Eclipsed and The Encounter in 2016.

Subsequently, the Golden hosted A Doll's House, Part 2 in 2017; Three Tall Women and The Waverly Gallery in 2018; and Hillary and Clinton and Slave Play in 2019.