The Teatro do Ginásio was constructed on the modern-day Rua Nova da Trindade in the Chiado district of the Portuguese capital of Lisbon.

As a result of these difficulties, the Ginásio was re-oriented towards presenting comedies, under the management of a Frenchman, Émile Doux, who directed the theatre in 1847 and 1848.

After 1848 its popularity enabled it to branch out into other forms of entertainment, such as comic operas and, beginning in 1851, what were known in Portugal as "magazine" shows, which were similar to revues.

While it succeeded in attracting larger audiences, the debts incurred for the remodelling, including further changes carried out in 1869, caused problems for successive management companies, leading them to depend on donations, particularly as the theatre was often without a show to put on.

Isidoro Sabino Ferreira [pt] first performed at the Ginásio in 1855, Emília Adelaide in 1863 and Maria das Dores in 1869.

Classified as a Property of Public Interest by Lisbon City Council in 1980, the facade has been preserved but the interior was demolished and rebuilt.