The Ballhof was originally a sports hall where people could play the then common ball game, a kind of badminton, undisturbed by wind and weather. It was built between 1649 and 1664 under Duke Georg Wilhelm on the site of the former St. Gallen Court.
It was later sold several times and served as an assembly hall, cinema, auction house, furniture warehouse and venue for municipal theatres until the Second World War. After 1945, the Ballhof was used as a theatre again. In 1975, Thilo Mucke had the hall and stage modernised and the foyer rebuilt as a steel and glass structure with a copper roof. When the theatre on Prinzenstraße opened in 1992, the Ballhof was converted into a "small house" with 300 seats. Ballhof Eins in the old town is part of the Staatsschauspiel Hannover, which also has four other theatres.
Ballhof Eins primarily serves as a venue for the young division of Schauspiel Hannover and the Hanover State Opera. The repertoire mainly includes classics in a new form, but also new plays by young authors and unusual pieces. Music events such as "Jazz am Ballhof" take place on Ballhofplatz in front of the venue.
