The original Carnegie Music Hall was constructed in 1890 on the North Side (Allegheny City), next to Allegheny City Hall (site of Buhl Planetarium today). Other music halls were soon constructed in Braddock (1893), Oakland (1895), Homestead (1898), Carnegie (1901) and Duquesne (1904). These Music Halls were parts of the Libraries that Carnegie was constructing, 2811 in all, but only the earliest libraries received a true, accoustically-perfect music hall.

The original Carnegie Hall and Library on the North Side was in operation until the late 1960s. Although demolition of the building was considered, the interior was renovated in a modern motif and reopened in the mid-1970s. The new theater in the Music Hall was christened the Theodore Hazlett Theatre and became the home of the new Pittsburgh Public Theater. The Public Theater remained in Carnegie Hall until December of 1999. The Hazlett Theatre is now being operated by the City of Pittsburgh for the use of local theatrical groups.

Carnegie Hall in Oakland, part of the Carnegie Institute, is still considered one of the finest music halls in the city, and is definitely one of the oldest and most ornate. It is a perfect place for a concert performance, and is the weekly venue for the Pittsburgh Chamber Music Society concert series.