It was originally called Luis Mier y Terán and functioned as a theater and casino. In the 1930s, his name was changed to that of the Oaxacan musician and composer Macedonio Alcalá, author of the waltz "God Never Dies."

The building has a marked Renaissance influence. The main façade consists of three doors crowned by banked arches. The beautiful facade features artistic elements of eclectic architecture. It consists of three levels with a mezzanine inside and at the main entrance is the lobby with a staircase and marble floor.

Inside, the lobby has Louis XV style, with a white marble staircase, and on its ceiling, a beautiful allegory represents the Temple of Art.

The hall is in the Empire style and is shaped like a horseshoe. It consists of six seats: lunette, stalls, first boxes, second boxes, gallery and paradise. At the back, a balcony overlooks the entrance hall to the theater, where, at the beginning of the 19th century, the authorities received Oaxacan society.

Another interesting detail is the two pairs of anthropomorphic or semi-Atlantean columns, which are close to the scene-mouth. The curtain shows a beautiful pictorial composition that includes the Parthenon and Mount Parnassus. In the background is, among clouds, the chariot of Apollo pulled by four horses that guide Glory. Surrounding this painting are the Nine Muses that were also captured on the ceiling of the living room. This magnificent style is characteristic of the Porfiriato era.

Giuseppe Verdi's opera Aida inaugurated the theater in 1909.