Ohio Theatre

Originally built as a cinema, the Ohio Theatre today houses the city’s orchestra and ballet company, plus hosts touring artists and shows. With more than 100 performances a year, it is one of the premier cultural centers in Ohio. The best way to visit is by booking tickets for one of the scheduled performances, as the theater does not offer regularly scheduled tours. Performances are generally held in the evening, so it is easy to pair with a day exploring Columbus’ main attractions, including the Columbus Art Museum, Center of Science and Industry (COSI), and Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens.

• To enter the Ohio Theatre, you must purchase a ticket to a performance. Tickets are sold online or at the theater’s box office, which opens two hours before performances.

• Booster seats and nursing stations are available for families with young children, though the theater does not recommend that children under 5 attend adult shows.

• The theater has a concession stand selling food and drinks.

• There is disabled access and reserved wheelchair seating for all shows.

Ohio Theatre is located in the heart of downtown Columbus, opposite the Ohio Statehouse. The performance center sits along several city bus lines and has parking spaces in two garages just a short walk away. You can also reach the theater on foot from nearby downtown attractions and hotels.

The theater is open for year-round concerts, shows, and other performances. Check the CAPA (Columbus Association for the Performing Arts) website to see upcoming performances and purchase tickets online or at the theater’s on-site box office, which opens two hours before showtime.

Ohio Theatre is one of a group of historic theaters in downtown Columbus that the CAPA has restored and that today are active performing arts venues open to the public for shows and events. Fans of landmark theaters can also visit the Palace Theatre, an early 20th-century vaudeville house inspired by France’s Versailles Palace, and the Southern Theatre, which opened in 1896 and is one of the oldest in Ohio. The Lincoln Theatre, decorated in an Egyptian Revival style and opened in 1928, was once the city’s African-American performance space and hosted many iconic jazz musicians.