The Globe was erected in 1598 in London's Bankside District. Richard Burbage was the builder and owner of the theater but they rented the land it was on. Shakespeare's troupe, The Lord Chamberlain's Men, performed regularly at The Globe. Special features of The Globe included trap doors and overhead rigging for special effects. The building could seat 3,000 audience members. In 1613, The Globe burned to the ground after a cannon shot during a performance of Henry VIII ignited a fire. They rebuilt The Globe and continued to perform there until 1642 when the Puritans closed it down. According to the Shakespeare Resource Center, "The Globe would remain a ghost for the next 352 years." In 1989, it was remodeled for modern viewing and reopened. The new structure seats 1,500.
The Swan Theatre was built somewhere between 1595 and 1596. The theater's history is particularly bleak. In 1597 the theater performed "The Isle of Dogs," which was thought to be so scandalous that nearly everyone involved was arrested, the play was banned and all of London's theaters were closed for months. The Swan was used for plays until 1620, according to the Luminarium Encyclopedia Project. The Swan is also remembered for a drawing that was done of the interior by famous Dutch artist Johannes de Witt.
The Rose was the first playhouse to be built in London. In 1587 John Cholmley and Philip Henslowe agreed to build a playhouse and run it together for eight years, although Cholmley died before the eight years were up and Henslowe ran it himself. The Admiral's Men, The Queen's Men, Lord Sussex's Men and Lord Strange's Company performed at The Rose Theatre, which plays by Christopher Marlowe, William Shakespeare and Robert Greene. They performed mostly history plays. Henslowe's lease expired in 1605 and The Rose was demolished.
Blackfriars Theatre were actually two theaters on the site of a Dominican monastery known as "The Blackfriars." Its first use as a theater was when a theater group made of young boys rehearsed at the site prior to performing in court. Richard Burbage bought a section of the Blackfriars in 1596 and converted it into a playhouse. In 1597 Burbage became the owner of the second Blackfriars Theatre. The Chamberlain's Men performed there and Burbage was the principal actor. In 1642 the playhouse was closed and in 1655 it was demolished.