The Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts
The Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts
The Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts
4.5
1:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Sunday
1:00 PM - 6:00 PM
About
Home to many of the city’s major arts organizations, The Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts brings the finest in music, dance, theater and more to Kentucky! We are the home for Louisville’s nationally-renowned arts scene, to the Louisville Orchestra, Kentucky Opera, Louisville Ballet, Stage One Family Theatre and PNC Bank Broadway in Louisville, as well as a host of community theaters and our own Kentucky Center Presents performances. The three theaters of The Center are Kentucky’s showcases for the performing arts. From Broadway to ballet, from blues to bluegrass, from Big Bands to Beethoven, our stages overflow with magnificent entertainment almost every night of the year.
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Address
Neighborhood: Central Business District
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605 within 3 miles
Attractions
322 within 6 miles
See what travelers are saying
- suzanne f jones20 contributionsGreat Venue for Shows!This is a great venue to see shows, when you are unable to go to Broadway it's a very close second! I've seen numerous show here. The seats are all good. It's easy to park and get in coming from I-64.Visited September 2023Traveled with friendsWritten October 3, 2023
- Jacob HIndianapolis, Indiana762 contributionsWickedA very nice space to watch a play (Wicked in this case) with plenty of aisle room to walk even in balcony. Only negative that I saw was limited women's bathroom in balcony causing mad dashes during intermission. Very nice central location near some great local museum and sites before and/or after a show.Visited October 2023Traveled soloWritten October 9, 2023
- vanomad504 contributionsNice venueWent to watch beetlejuice. Great stage and we had a wonderful view. Seats are cramped but I think it’s like that in most theaters. They do need more than one bathroom on each level. But overall nice venue and we enjoyed the show.Visited May 2024Traveled with familyWritten May 24, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
147 reviews
Excellent
94
Very good
39
Average
9
Poor
1
Terrible
4
RossNJ
East Windsor, NJ9 contributions
Jul 2023 • Couples
My wife and I attended an acapella show as part of a convention we were attending. Nice theatre but no center aisle so ut makes it harder to return to your seat. Also, bathroom facilities totally inadequate. I didn't expect a line to the men's room but I found one here, and had to miss the first 10 minutes or so of the show after the intermission.
Written July 10, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
imrico
413 contributions
Jun 2022
Recently saw Hamilton here and i had a Zrow seat and was very happy. Seats were arranged to where if they aren't TOO tall, you can still see everything (stadium style.) Z isn't too far away either unike some venue's. SO even if you get cheap seats back there, it is still pretty good compared to a lot of other venue's I've been too.
Not a woman, but one thing that looked good for their venue as well was their restroom line. I've went to event's where women would be waiting in a 60+ foot line, I did not see that here. (Only pre-show, did not see during intermission so I could be wrong.)
Not a woman, but one thing that looked good for their venue as well was their restroom line. I've went to event's where women would be waiting in a 60+ foot line, I did not see that here. (Only pre-show, did not see during intermission so I could be wrong.)
Written June 13, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jacob H
Indianapolis, IN762 contributions
Oct 2023 • Solo
A very nice space to watch a play (Wicked in this case) with plenty of aisle room to walk even in balcony. Only negative that I saw was limited women's bathroom in balcony causing mad dashes during intermission. Very nice central location near some great local museum and sites before and/or after a show.
Written October 9, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Marty B
Lexington, KY4 contributions
Jun 2022
Always a great day when you can see live theater. I wish they sold some sort of snacks and not just alcohol during intermission. More bathrooms would also be great since you have to walk all the way around. It is nice though.
Written June 18, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
vanomad
Virginia504 contributions
May 2024 • Family
Went to watch beetlejuice. Great stage and we had a wonderful view. Seats are cramped but I think it’s like that in most theaters. They do need more than one bathroom on each level. But overall nice venue and we enjoyed the show.
Written May 25, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
miltravler
Dayton, OH50 contributions
Feb 2013 • Couples
The Kentucky center has several theaters, the one on W. Main is Whitney Hall. We visited this theater to watch the Million $ Quartet.
Positives: The show was fabulous! The staff were very friendly and helpful You are allowed to take beverages in.
Negatives: The seats are way too small for the average person and subsequently very uncomfortable. My wife and I had to huddle together to avoid being shouldered by our neighbors. The unfortunate (larger) gentleman in front of us had his trousers pulled down by the tight seat when he stood! Ticket prices seemed too high for this caliber of a theater - spend some money on new seating.
Positives: The show was fabulous! The staff were very friendly and helpful You are allowed to take beverages in.
Negatives: The seats are way too small for the average person and subsequently very uncomfortable. My wife and I had to huddle together to avoid being shouldered by our neighbors. The unfortunate (larger) gentleman in front of us had his trousers pulled down by the tight seat when he stood! Ticket prices seemed too high for this caliber of a theater - spend some money on new seating.
Written February 20, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kristan B
Louisville, KY1 contribution
Feb 2014 • Family
My family and I spent $150 for tickets and had the worst experience ever. My two year old would not sit still in my lap and wanted to be in the aisle. I repeatedly try to remove him, but he wasn't cooperating. The aisle attendent continually harrassed my about him being in the aisle and I told her he is 2 and doesn't understand, but I am trying my best. At one point, I took my son and we walked down the aisle towards the doors to exit and I bent down to him to try to show him the show, and again the woman tapped me on my shoulder and said I could not be in the aisle. This was ridiculous. So much so, that we left and sat in the car while my daughter and husband watching the remaining part. On the way out, with my purse and 30 lb crying 2 year old, the attendend asks if I would like to speak to a manager. I told her no, that we were leaving. It was a complete waste of money and they should make this show age appropriate if they are going to be that strict. We attended Yo Gabba Gabba at the Palace and kids were dancing in the aisles and no one said a word. You cannot expect young children to sit still and watch a show. I will never, ever go back again.
Written April 17, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Stephen B
Louisville, KY48 contributions
We have been to several shows over the years, and recently saw the Lion King at the Kentucky Center. But our evening on the town quickly turned sour.
After gaining admission and finding out seats, we got up to take our young child to the restroom before the show. When we returned, other folks were sitting in our seats. They had gained admission on the same tickets with fakes they bought on StubHub (probably unaware). And because they were currently in the seats, staff allowed the fraudulent tickets to keep the seats.
After dealing with unhelpful staff and a now crying small child, we came to know this is a common occurrence. The Center doesn't check for duplicate or fraudulent tickets, and does little to combat the abuse. After being granted left-over tickets in the balcony, we met several folks around us that had similar experiences that very night. High-price ticket holders bumped to cheap seats because of fraudulent tickets. Others kicked out of sold-out showings.
In short, fraudulent tickets are rampant, the Center can't or won't do anything to stop it, and there is little recourse for patrons. Out tickets were scanned through the computer when we arrived, but it didn't matter. If you do go, buy directly from the ticket office, keep your receipts on you for proof, and don't leave your seats unattended! It's an unregulated Wild West instead of an evening of art and entertainment. BUYER BEWARE.
Also, the show was fantastic. Lion King always is.
After gaining admission and finding out seats, we got up to take our young child to the restroom before the show. When we returned, other folks were sitting in our seats. They had gained admission on the same tickets with fakes they bought on StubHub (probably unaware). And because they were currently in the seats, staff allowed the fraudulent tickets to keep the seats.
After dealing with unhelpful staff and a now crying small child, we came to know this is a common occurrence. The Center doesn't check for duplicate or fraudulent tickets, and does little to combat the abuse. After being granted left-over tickets in the balcony, we met several folks around us that had similar experiences that very night. High-price ticket holders bumped to cheap seats because of fraudulent tickets. Others kicked out of sold-out showings.
In short, fraudulent tickets are rampant, the Center can't or won't do anything to stop it, and there is little recourse for patrons. Out tickets were scanned through the computer when we arrived, but it didn't matter. If you do go, buy directly from the ticket office, keep your receipts on you for proof, and don't leave your seats unattended! It's an unregulated Wild West instead of an evening of art and entertainment. BUYER BEWARE.
Also, the show was fantastic. Lion King always is.
Written March 8, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
saydee02
Palmyra, IN25 contributions
Feb 2014 • Family
Getting tickets was kind of odd. If you bought them online or by phone you had to pay a extra fee, but if you bought them at the box office there was no extra fee. The young lady at the box office was so nice and helped us get our tickets. Thank you very much Grace R.
We enjoyed the performance of Sesame Street Live: Can't Stop Singing. Our three year old granddaughter clapped, waved, danced, sang and smiled the whole performance. Even the smiles on our grown children faces were priceless. The facility was very nice. The older ladies working there was very nice and very informative. The younger staff was nice but was not very informative. Our seats were in the balcony, Row B, these are very good seats. Seating was a little tight for my husband that is taller. The restrooms were very clean. Parking was right across the street.
What a wonderful time our family had watching the show.. If anyone gets a chance to go to the theatre, I strongly recommend The Brown Theatre!!!!
We enjoyed the performance of Sesame Street Live: Can't Stop Singing. Our three year old granddaughter clapped, waved, danced, sang and smiled the whole performance. Even the smiles on our grown children faces were priceless. The facility was very nice. The older ladies working there was very nice and very informative. The younger staff was nice but was not very informative. Our seats were in the balcony, Row B, these are very good seats. Seating was a little tight for my husband that is taller. The restrooms were very clean. Parking was right across the street.
What a wonderful time our family had watching the show.. If anyone gets a chance to go to the theatre, I strongly recommend The Brown Theatre!!!!
Written February 22, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
RobertM
Louisville, KY15 contributions
Oct 2012
Saw two plays within the course of two months and sat in different parts of the theatre (one close to stage; other in grand tier). Save your money and get the cheaper seat. This place is fantastic view for all seats
Written November 3, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Is orchestra row A a good view or should I choose a seat a few rows back?
Written July 14, 2023
What are the best seats in the center? I was considering getting 1rst or 2nd row tickets but I don’t know if the stage is raised or not.
Written March 1, 2018
I would not get first or second row, the stage is raised and it would be better ten rows back or so
Written April 1, 2018
Is row B orchestra left too close or not good seats at Whitney Hall? Was wondering why these tickets are less expensive? Thinking about coming to see Nutcracker in December.
Written November 15, 2017
We were in row B near center and it was perfect but for the Nutcracker I think I personally would prefer to be a little further back and at more of an elevation.
Written November 16, 2017
Is there room to dance at this venue? From photos I can find of Whitney Hall, it looks like the seats are right up to the stage.
Written October 20, 2016
I would like to know what "good" view seats are in Whitney Hall. I am having a hard time choosing between Orchestra or Tier. I would love box seats but I can't seem to figure out where to purchase those... any help there could also be useful!
Written May 25, 2016
Orchestra is the floor level, and personally I don't think the floor slopes enough to give you a good view over the person sitting in front of you. I like the grand tier, center and as close to the front as you can. If you want to book the box seats, they're at the grand tier level.
Written January 20, 2017
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