At the roofline is a carved wooden cornice with alternating large and small brackets, above a frieze with applied moldings in geometric patterns.

[1] The building's heavy and ornate exterior is a direct contrast to its spacious, open interior.

The approximately 200 original cast-iron seats are arranged on four descending, curving levels, with leatherette upholstery.

On either side is a balcony with circular box, supported by wooden columns with brackets and ball drops, and two tall, round-arched stained glass windows.

Many features are similar to designs by James Renwick Jr., for the early buildings of Vassar College in the 1860s.

[1] The Vassars spent $30,000 ($947,000 in contemporary dollars[2]) to put up the Institute on the site of their uncle's brewery, furthering the family's interest in education and culture.