Names of buildings and institutions

The following names typically have the definite article (although on maps the definite article is usually not shown):

Names of theatres (a), concert halls (b), cinemas (c), clubs(d)

a) the Coliseum Theatre, the Opera House, the Globe;

b) the Festival Hall, the Albert Hall, the Carnegie Hall;

c) the Empire, the Dominion, the Odeon;

d) the National Liberal Club, the Rotary Club.

Note. The definite article may distinguish a theatre from the street it is in: the Whitehall (a theatre), Whitehall (a street)

Names of hotels, restaurants, pubs, bridges and buildings: the Ritz, the Hilton, the Copper Kettle, the Royal Oak, the Ambassador Hotel, the Continental Hotel the Golden Gate, the Social Science Building.

But many restaurants, pubs, shops, banks are named after the people who started them. These names end in –s’ or –s. Don’t use “the” with these names: McDonalds, Harrods, Lloyds Bank.

Names ofmuseums, picture galleries: the National Gallery, the Louvre, the British Museum, the Scottish National Museum etc.

But in newspaper announcements and advertisements the article is usually not found with these nouns.

The following names typically have no article:

Two-word names in which the first word is the name of a person or a place: Victoria Station, Edinburgh Castle.

But the White House, the Royal Palace, because “ white ” and “ royal ” are not names of place or people.