Plan Your Visit
As the resident ballet company of McCaw Hall, Pacific Northwest Ballet presents dance performances of the highest quality in the heart of Seattle.
Here is some helpful information as you plan your visit with us. If you have further questions, please contact the PNB Box Office at 206.441.2424.
Directions & Parking
PNB performs at McCaw Hall, located at 321 Mercer St, Seattle, WA on the north edge of the Seattle Center campus. Due to an increasing number of events in the area, parking can fill up quickly. We strongly recommend purchasing pre-paid parking for the Mercer Street Garage (connected to McCaw Hall via skybridge with accessible parking). Click here to purchase pre-paid parking.
While planning your trip, we recommend checking Seattle Center’s website for information about transportation updates.
Parking is available at the Mercer Street Garage (650 3rd Avenue North, Seattle, WA, 98109). The entrance to the garage is on 3rd Avenue North between Mercer Street and Roy Street. A covered skybridge connects level C of the garage to McCaw Hall. Vehicle clearance for all levels of the garage is 7’7,” and accessible parking is available on level C. With an increasing number of events in the area, we strongly recommend purchasing pre-paid parking for Mercer Street Garage. Click here to purchase pre-paid parking.
Additional parking is located at 5th Avenue North Garage (516 Harrison Street, Seattle, WA, 98109), which is a 3-block walk from McCaw Hall. The entrance to this garage is on Harrison Street and Republican Street, just east of 5th Avenue North.
Click here to learn more about parking options near McCaw Hall.
The Seattle Center Monorail is a quick, convenient ride to McCaw Hall from downtown Seattle. The monorail departs approximately every 10 minutes and is a 90-second ride between the Seattle Center station, adjacent to the Space Needle, and the Westlake Center Mall station at Fifth Avenue and Pine Street. Link your monorail ride with Sound Transit buses or the light rail to travel as far as the airport and beyond! Click here to learn more.
There are several Bus Routes that stop within 1 to 5 blocks of McCaw Hall, including lines 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 13, 32, 62, and Rapid Ride D. Click here to plan your trip.
To drive to McCaw Hall from Aurora/Highway 99 northbound:
- Take the exit toward I-5/Mercer Street.
- Turn left onto Dexter Ave North.
- Turn left onto Mercer Street.
To drive to McCaw Hall from Aurora/Highway 99 southbound:
- Turn right onto Roy Street.
- Turn left onto 4th Avenue North.
- Turn right onto Mercer Street.
To drive to McCaw Hall from I-5:
- Take the Mercer Street/Seattle Center exit (Exit 167).
- Continue straight on Mercer Street.
- McCaw Hall will be on your left.
Ticket Information
If you have questions about your tickets, our friendly Box Office team is happy to help! You can visit the Box Office in person at 301 Mercer Street, Seattle, WA 98109, call 206-441-2424, or email tickets@PNB.org for assistance.
When preparing to go to the ballet, people often wonder, “What are the best seats in the theatre?” As you can imagine, there is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question. Click here for McCaw Hall’s seating charts or click here to read more about the Box Office staff’s recommendations for all types of theater-goers. Don’t hesitate to contact the Box Office if you have more questions about where to sit!
If you can no longer attend your performance, we have several options for you! You can exchange your tickets for another show, apply the value of your tickets towards a credit on future purchases (all credit expires on August 31st), or donate your tickets to PNB for a tax-deductible donation. Call the Box Office at 206-441-2424 for assistance with your tickets!
Please note that seating options for exchanges are based on availability and are at the discretion of the Box Office. You must contact the Box Office before your ticketed performance begins to exchange your tickets or receive credit.
The PNB Box Office is open Monday–Friday and performance Saturdays, 10:00 am–6:00 pm.
On performance days, PNB staff will be available at McCaw Hall starting 90 minutes before the show for in-person sales, will-call pickup, and other customer service needs.
Tickets may be purchased three ways:
- Online at PNB.org
- Calling 206.441.2424. Phones are open Monday through Friday and performance Saturdays from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm.
- In-person at The Phelps Center (301 Mercer Street, Seattle, WA 98109) or the McCaw Hall Box Office. The McCaw Hall Box Office is only open for ballet purchases starting 90 minutes before a ballet performance.
Yes! 50% off rush tickets are available for the following communities (with ID):
- Students
- Seniors (65 and up)
- School Employees (early childhood, primary, secondary, and higher education school employees)
- Industry (Those employed in the arts and culture sectors. Including members of AGMA, TPS, AEA, etc)
- Government/ Military
Rush tickets can be purchased on the day of the show you are attending over the phone at 206-441-2424 or in person at the McCaw Hall Box Office. Rush tickets are not available for George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker® and other special events.
Patrons must present a valid ID and/or qualifying documents to receive rush discounts. Acceptable forms of verification include driver’s license, passport, work ID, union card, recent pay stub, military ID, business card, etc.
PNB offers a variety of other discounts on tickets. Click here to learn more.
Food & Drink
McCaw Hall offers several dining and beverage options for ballet-goers, including a full-service restaurant, Prelude, and concessions located throughout the theater. Pre-order when you arrive at McCaw Hall before your performance to skip the lines during intermission at any concessions location.
No food is allowed in the performance auditorium, but beverages are allowed in McCaw Hall’s reusable concessions cups and other approved lidded containers.
Reservations for Prelude are highly encouraged! Call 206.615.0404 or click here to make a reservation. Prelude opens two hours before ballet performances.
Venue Information
Come early to your show and visit the Amusements Gift Shop, get dinner at Prelude, and attend one of our pre-performance lectures “Ballet Talk.” Learn about everything McCaw Hall has to offer, guidelines for attending performances, and more below. While planning your visit, read our Code of Conduct to learn our expectations for audience members.
To respect performers and other audience members, latecomers will be seated during a suitable interval in the performance, at the discretion of management. While waiting to enter the auditorium, guests can watch the show on the lobby monitors.
We welcome children to the ballet but recognize that not all of our performances are enjoyable for young visitors. A parent or guardian knows their child best and can decide if they are ready to attend a ballet performance. All guests, including children and babes in arms, must have a ticket to enter the theater. Children under 2 are eligible for a discounted “baby ticket.” Call the Box Office at 206.441.2424 to purchase one!
McCaw Hall offers complimentary booster cushions for children on a first-come, first-served basis.
Nope! Although many people enjoy dressing up when they attend the ballet, there’s no dress code. At PNB, you’ll see people in a variety of outfits, from fabulous gowns to casual pants and sneakers. We encourage you to wear what makes you feel the most confident and comfortable!
Pacific Northwest Ballet is committed to honoring its performance schedule and unless otherwise announced, all performances will continue as planned. If a performance is canceled, PNB will email ticket buyers and post an announcement on the PNB website and social media.
If you’re at the ballet and realize you have lost an item, please ask any of the usher staff or the House Manager for help finding it.
After a performance, Lost and Found items are taken to the Seattle Center Customer Service office inside the Seattle Center Armory. You can call 206.684.7200 to ask about a lost item. Please note that it can take 24 to 48 hours for a found item to be relocated from McCaw Hall to the Customer Service office.
No, at this time, McCaw Hall does not have a bag policy. Additionally, McCaw Hall offers a complimentary coat check, so you can store bulky items during performances for free!
Accessibility
McCaw Hall is fully ADA-accessible. Accessible seating is available at PNB’s full range of prices and seating sections for individual performances and subscription packages. All wheelchair-accessible spaces have at least one adjacent companion seat, with many offering three or more. PNB strives to accommodate the needs of all of our guests; please contact the Box Office if you have questions about your trip to the ballet!
Accessible parking is available on level C of the Mercer Street Garage (650 3rd Avenue North, Seattle, WA, 98109). There are 38 accessible parking spaces available. Vehicle clearance for all levels of the Mercer Garage is 7’7″, and vehicles must have the appropriate permits to park in the ADA stalls. The entrance to the garage is on 3rd Avenue North between Mercer Street and Roy Street. An accessible, covered skybridge connects level C of the garage to McCaw Hall’s Grand Lobby/Orchestra level. Please note that you will need your tickets ready to be scanned to enter here.
With an increasing number of events in the area, we strongly recommend purchasing pre-paid parking for Mercer Street Garage. Click here to purchase pre-paid parking.
All of McCaw Hall’s restrooms are ADA accessible, and restrooms are located on all levels of McCaw Hall. On the majority of levels, restrooms are located at the north and south ends of the building. On the Kreielsheimer Promenade level, restrooms are only located on the south end of the building. Additionally, accessible Family Restrooms are available on the south end of each floor.
Guests have four options to enter McCaw Hall on the north side of the building (closest to Mercer Street).
If entering from the Mercer Street Garage:
- Cross the covered skybridge to enter McCaw Hall at the Grand Lobby/Orchestra level. Please note that you will need your tickets ready to enter here.
- Cross the covered skybridge. Take the elevator adjacent to McCaw Hall’s entrance doors, and select the “Kreielsheimer Promenade” level. Exit the elevator and turn left to enter through McCaw Hall’s north doors into the building’s main entry lobby.
If entering from street level:
- Use the elevator located adjacent to the Nesholm Family Lecture Hall entrance. Select “Kreielsheimer Promenade” to enter McCaw Hall’s main entry lobby.
- Use the ramp in front of the neighboring Phelps Center (301 Mercer Street, Seattle WA, 98109). Proceed east to reach McCaw Hall’s north doors and the building’s main entry lobby.
McCaw Hall’s south doors (closest to Memorial Stadium) are ADA-accessible and enter at the building’s main entry lobby.
PNB offers many seating options which are detailed below!
- Seats marked with a ♿ online are open spaces that can accommodate a wheelchair, other mobility devices, or a loose chair provided by McCaw Hall. Loose chairs can either have armrests or be without armrests upon request.
- Seats marked with a ⭐ online and labeled “Wheelchair Companion” are bolted chairs adjacent to the wheelchair-accessible space. These seats are for additional guests of folks using an ADA-accessible space.
- Orchestra seats marked with a ⭐ online and labeled “Transfer Seat” provide aisle-side movable armrests to allow ease of entry or transfer from another mobility device.
On a desktop computer, hovering your mouse over any seat will provide details as to which sort of accommodation the symbol notates. On a mobile device, clicking on the seat will reveal the same details.
Need to take a break? No problem! Visit the quiet room on the First Tier. This secluded room has a window facing the stage and speakers with an adjustable volume knob. The quiet room is equipped with tall, movable chairs. Ushers can help guests locate these rooms as needed during a performance.
If you choose to exit the auditorium, monitors showing the performance live are located in the lobby. Please note that guests who exit the auditorium during the show will be escorted back at the discretion of the ushers, often during applause breaks or intermissions.
Registered service animals are permitted inside McCaw Hall and must remain on a leash or harness at all times.
Service animals aren’t permitted to sit in an aisle (between rows or between sections) due to emergency safety considerations, but they can sit on someone’s lap or under a seat.
For bigger animals, guests are welcome to use our accessible seating, which has extra room to accommodate them.
Yes! McCaw Hall has several wheelchairs available free of charge on a first-come, first-served basis. Simply ask an usher, who will bring you a wheelchair and maneuver the chair as needed.
Please note ushers, other PNB staff, or McCaw Hall staff cannot assist patrons in any weight-bearing capacity (helping out of seats or cars, etc.).
Yes! Elevators are located on every floor of McCaw Hall at the north and south ends of the building.
Non-motorized scooters are allowed in McCaw Hall.
Motorized scooters are allowed in all lobby spaces, but not in the seating areas of the auditorium. Ushers will stow motorized scooters in the lobby closest to where the owner enters the auditorium. People who use motorized scooters and need assistance moving from the lobby to their seat may use one of McCaw Hall’s wheelchairs free of charge.
Yes! PNB offers Sensory-Friendly performances throughout the year. These performances feature a relaxed environment that includes lighting and sound modifications and flexible entry/exit between audience and lobby spaces. Click here to purchase tickets to a Sensory-Friendly performance.
Additionally, PNB has a Social Narrative Overview (which includes photos and explanations about the things you’ll encounter at McCaw Hall) and Sensory-accessible bags (which include headphones, fidgets, and a card to assist in nonverbal communication of needs). Sensory-accessible bags are available for check out in the Spafford Lobby on the Kreilesheimer Promenade.
Please reach out to access@PNB.org for questions about specific productions. We’re happy to provide pertinent details about lighting, sounds, etc.
PNB offers select audio-described performances for visually impaired and blind patrons at $20 per ticket. The Sennheiser Listening System works throughout the hall. Learn more and purchase tickets here.
Additionally, PNB offers large-print programs at every performance and braille programs at select performances. Audience members can also rent binoculars for just $5.00. Programs and binoculars are available right next to coat check at the north end of the building.
Complimentary assisted listening devices (ALDs) are available. The ALDs are available right next to coat check, which is located on the north end of the building. When checking out an ALD, guests will be asked to leave valid identification. This will be returned when the ALD is returned.