Aleppo Shriners Auditorium

The indoor zoo was ok not much selection of animals. The pony and elephant rides where good. Food is overpriced and not good at all. Similar to microwave food.

Came here for a show this weekend, as I do every year. And as normal, this is a very good auditorium.
It could be better, but there are many redeeming qualities that set it out as still being one of the best places for events in the area. Specifically, it gets very dirty and isn’t being kept up to it’s full capacity. There is junk along the interior walls that should be moved out during events and it could definitely use some huge renovations, but as I said there are many redeeming qualities.
Redeeming qualities :
– Not in a extremely congested, busy area. Located on Fordham Road, in an industrial-​park-​like area, with not much traffic
– Conveniently located right off I-​93 in Wilmington. Exit 39. Turn right at the end of the exit, turn left at the first traffic light, and follow Fordham Rd for about 2 minutes
– Huge parking lot and lots of space in the exterior
– Not too, too far away from Boston. And very close to the Northshore as well as Burlington, Woburn and many other largely populated towns and cities
– and finally the auditorium IS large enough for big events
Overall, there are a few kinks but there are also many things about this place that will keep me coming back once per year.
4 stars.

I visited Shriners Auditorium this weekend for both days of Northeast Comic Con & Expo.
The venue was great!
The main hall held vendor booths, performance stages, and even Simply Circus performers.
The 2^nd floor had 2 spaces were panel presentations were held. Ample seating for attendees.
Parking was easy both days with Shriners staff directing traffic.
The Roadhouse Grill was open providing food. It was cash only — but their chicken fingers & fries were tasty.
As others have mentioned, this venue is very easy to get to from 93 North.

If you are thinking of visiting the Shriners Auditorium’s Dinosaur Exhibition save yourself the money, the time and the aggravation. At $ 18 per adults and kids over 13, this is one of the biggest ripoffs I’ve experienced in a while. Do yourself and your little ones a favor, go to the movies, go for some froyo or better yet buy some ice cream and rent Jurassic Park. You’ll see more real looking dinosaurs in the comfort of your home and won’t feel like you are paying for breathing. Like $ 18 is not enough, they want you to pay for face painting, jumping on inflatables, and playing under a tarp. Of course there was a concession stand with overpriced crappy food and a «gift store» of even more crappy stuff no one needs and weird looking toys your kids will never play with. And just so you don’t forget your crappy and subpar experience, you can shell out $ 15 for a photoshopped photo (or $ 20 for the 3D version) of you in a scary situation with CG dinosaurs that look way better than the ones in the exhibition. Overall a total disappointment and a royal waste of money.

Was here for the Pop Culture Expo last Sat. & liked that it was (IMO) the perfect size venue for the show.

The Shriner’s Arena is a great place that I’ve discovered due to the Boston Derby Dames. I have not been for other events but I would definitely consider it based on the fun I’ve had attending BDD events. There are a couple of bathrooms so that you don’t have to wait in super long lines. The Fez Room has a nice bar that serves interesting beers on tap and mixed drinks. I loved the pizza slices they used to serve but now they’ve switched to round mini pizza pies that I don’t love as much. They also serve burgers, fries, hot dogs, sausages, and popcorn — lots of treats to keep your friends and family satisfied. The stands are pretty comfortable and the sound system has improved over the years. A great place to hang for a great show.

This review is based on the circus. I haven’t been to a whole lot of circuses nor have I ever been to an expensive really well known one… that being said this was the worst of all. They didn’t have any really «wowing» acts. At one point I thought I may doze off. There are three rings which means of you’re sitting on one side or another you miss everything in the opposite ring from you. Half the time I could hardly hear the speaker and from where I was sitting I could hardly see what was going on. :(

I only ever come here to see Boston Derby Dames events, but here are some things that should be useful to know regardless of what event you are thinking of attending here:
–Ample parking
–Easy to get to off the highway
–Inexpensive, carnival food-​esque concessions
–Super-​nice Shriners
–Generic ATM on the premises that is often broken or out of cash
–Clean bathrooms
If something you are into is going down here, this is probably a good place to see it.

Many of the post are about BDD (
), while the entry is about the auditorium. I’ve only been to the shriner for BDD, but they host wrestling, the circus, and other events. The Shriners are always nice to me. The facility is always clean! The food is average but extremely inexpensive. Finally the location is fantastic, only moments from 93. Great place to have an event.

Review for Shriner’s Auditorium & Boston Derby Dames:
I’ve been coming to the Aleppo Shriners Auditorium for the last few months with my girlfriend for double-​bouts featuring the Boston Derby Dames. Needless to say it’s a blast!
When I first came here I was very impressed by the size and the excellent views you get of the action. You don’t have to worry about being hot in here during the summer because this place has got the AC going! I’ll admit on my first visit the seats were not too comfortable but once your butt gets use to it you’ll hardly even notice. The trick is to stretch when you can.
Another big plus for the BDD games is that there is a wide variety of food, snacks and merchandise you can purchase while watching some all-​girl roller derby action! Hot dogs, Hamburgers, warm Pretzels, Candy, Popcorn, Soda, Beer (Bud/​Bud Light) and so much more. I don’t find things here to be over-​priced and of good quality, except the beer (I’ve never liked Budweiser).
Every BDD game I’ve seen has been a great time. I love watching the players, hearing the fans and especially enjoy seeing the crazy mascots during halftime. I favor «Pinchy the Lobster!» Half-​time is usually almost 30 minutes which give you plenty of time to stretch before the next game and socialize. You’ll be surprised how fans span from ages 6 to 60+. Derby is for everyone! These roller derby girls look tough but you’ll be surprised to learn that most, if not all, of them are very friendly and approachable. However, you’ll probably only know them by their derby names which can be very creative.
The season is wrapping up very soon so if you haven’t gotten a chance to see these girls in action do so before next season! It’s worth it!

We came for the Derby Dames, we stayed to try to decipher the hieroglyphs on the columns in the entrance area. We’ve seen similar etchings elsewhere, relatively recently. But where? On that odd hand-​burning medallion given to me by a rogue archaeologist? On that flippy tile clock in an underground bunker on a mysterious South Pacific island? On sheets of paper spitting out of my possessed printer? Alas, we can’t remember — we couldn’t figure out their meaning then, and we can’t now.
We also couldn’t find where they house their fleet of tiny automobiles. I guess we could have asked, but what would be the fun of that? We also were disappointed that they didn’t have a gift shop — I guess I’ll have to make my own red fez. We also still don’t know who Aleppo is — a lost Marx Brother? We do know that we will be back, very soon, with new questions to ask, and new mysteries to solve.
Es Selamu Aleikum!!!
(Fun fact: Did you know that an anagram for the acronym for the full name of the Shriners — Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine (A.A.O.N.M.S.) — spells out A MASON?)

I love you Shriners!
I’ve never met a friendlier bunch of people, who actually appear to enjoy working with each other for all events that take place in this establishment. I’ve never ONCE been treated shitty or like I wasn’t welcome. Parties, parties, everywhere, and many a drop to drink!
I can’t wait until NHRD starts bouting here — I’ve been a big fan of BDD for a long time running, and this place is the fucking bee knees.

Like all the other reviewers, I have come to know and love the Shriner’s Auditorium as the home of the Boston Derby Dames. As a dame myself, I feel especially close to this place where all the magic happens and appreciate all the good service the Shriner’s provide.
Yes, the sound can be a bit iffy, but they have put in loads of work to make this a great venue for our events. Their concessions stand is top notch if you ask me (i appreciate it more than ever after traveling to see other bouts with lesser snacks) and they are warm and welcoming to our crowds. even if some of us look a little funny.
All in all, good service, excellent burgers, delicious cocktails after, and a really great philanthropic organization.

I had always wondered what went on at the place off exit 39 on route 93. I mean, I always had read the sign, ‘Shriners Auditorium Exit 39,’ and wondered, «is that where all the men with the hats and small cars go play once the Veteran’s Day Parades are over?»
But thanks to the Boston Derby Dames, I now know that this is actually a pretty sweet arena located in between Boston and New Hampshire. Why so cool you ask? I’ll tell you.
+Chicks on skates wearing fishnets skating around a flat track trying to kick each others’ asses
+There are old men who dance with above mentioned chicks at the after parties
+These old men love hosting us in their arena and are more than happy to sell us some draft beer, slices of pizza, soft pretzels, nachos, and more
+Gettin’ drunk with old men who have no idea you’re probably hitting on their grandsons once you get back to Boston to hit the clubs

Who knew the Shiners were such cool hosts? Out in the boonies of Wilmington, MA sits the Shriners Auditorium like a bastion of old-​school swank. Not much has happened to change this place in what appears to be 20 or 30 years. Except for the fact that they’re now hosting the Boston Derby Dames events, which is pretty rockin’. Who knows, maybe they were hosting roller derby back in the 70’s, but the fact that they flawlessly held down the fort for some 1300 or so hipsters, rockers, parents, friends and derby fans as they descended upon them proves that the Shriners kick ass.
I was thoroughly impressed with the guys tending bar in the Felt Room during the breaks between periods where the line for Budweiser thirsty fans was three rows and extended the entire length of the room (which isn’t small neither). I didn’t see one of them break a sweat. The service all around was friendly and fast. And the burgers and fries hit the spot too. They reminded me of the old Roy Rogers burgers — which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
The seats aren’t all that ass friendly but I look forward to checking out another bout here soon. They should also look into hosting more rock and roll here — the highly elevated stage at the end of the auditorium is a pretty sweet spot to check out a band. And from the looks of the posters on the wall of the entrance it looks like they host poker tournaments and antiques roadshow type events here too.
To the Shriners, with love, Sean E.