This is one of the better-known and beloved ancient buildings in Greece, inextricably linked to some great performances in the 20th century. Since being partially restored, it has been used as a venue for musical and theatrical performances.

The Herodes Atticus Odeon was built in memory of Regilla, Herodes' wife, who died in AD 160-1; the sixty-year old patron of the arts spent an enormous amount of money to construct it. The theatre was his last great work and became famous for its superb construction, which was very advanced for the time, and for its luxury which one can discern even today, so many centuries later.

The cavea of the Odeon has a diameter of approximately 80 metres and the orchestra, which is somewhat more than a half-circle, has a diameter of 19 metres. A walkway, called a diazoma, divided the theatre seating into two sections. The lower had five wedge-shaped sections with 20 rows of seats each. The upper part had ten wedges, with 13-14 rows of seats each. All were marble, as was the floor of the orchestra. It is estimated that the Odeon had a seating capacity of 6,000. The Odeon's facade, 28 metres high, has three stories and is decorated with arches and openings. The skene has three stairways.

The most impressive part of the construction was the roof; it is believed to have covered the whole building. It was made of cedar wood, a precious material in those days, and ancient writers noted that the cost of cedar was expensive even if one only wanted a statue made of this material. It is not clear if it was used as an Odeon after its destruction by the Herulians.