1679 Best Performing Arts Venues in USA

For tickets to most events, call Ticketmaster or book online.

Call Ticketmaster for tickets to major events.

For tickets to major events call Ticketmaster.

Tickets to many Portland shows are available from TicketsWest.

Most second Sundays from 11 am to 3 pm, this quaint venue hosts a family-friendly Cajun brunch, a traditional "fais do-do," where a rowdy pack of tourists and locals crowd into the rustic space for live Cajun music. There's plenty of alcoholic beverages, coffee, and delicious food. Don't worry, beginner's dance lessons each brunch will have you Cajun two-steppin' in no time. The charge is usually $15 at the door on Sunday; other times, check the website for cultural events and concerts that take place here.

The a 2,242-seat concert hall, host all kinds of entertainment. The Big Apple Circus, k.d. lang, the New York Philharmonic, and the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater have performed here.

National music acts, the circus, and wrestling all make stops at the 16,000-seat Times Union Center.

Half-price, same-day tickets for many local and touring shows go on sale (cash only) at the TIX booth in Union Square, which is open daily from 10 to 6. Discount purchases can also be made online.

Don a flower lei and feast on traditional Hawaiian luau fare while enjoying cultural activities and a Polynesian show, with a choice of start time at 12:30 or 5 on Monday and Wednesday through Friday. It's a three-hour experience, and tickets include a Waimea Valley pass so you can explore the gardens before the luau. 

A rare survivor of Las Vegas's mostly forgotten \"family\" phase is this Arthurian stunt show, which has lasted more than 25 years in a dirt-floor arena in the basement of Excalibur. The audience dines on a Cornish hen dinner (warning: no utensils) and cheers on fast horses, jousting, and swordplay. Those familiar with Medieval Times around the country will know the drill. The show remains a great family gathering—especially for pre-adolescents, who get to make a lot of noise—and the realistic stunts speak to the commitment of the cast.

Founded in 1919, the Town Theatre is on the National Register of Historic Places and typically stages eight plays a year.

Notable and historic toys from various periods and manufacturers are on display during three-day ToyFest, which also brings a parade, an antique-car show, rides, and other entertainment to the Toy Town Museum. The event is usually held in late August.

This gallery's grand selection of traditional Western art includes paintings by the biggest names—Charles M. Russell, John Clymer, and Howard Terpning among them—along with works by talented contemporary artists such as Z.S. Liang, Nancy Glazier, and Morgan Weistling.

Tralf Music Hall hosts first-class jazz, blues, rhythm and blues, rock, and alternative acts. The box office opens two hours prior to shows.

As night falls, fireflies begin to flicker among the leaves of this iconic tree. The tiny lights expand, and, through the magic of high-tech projections, the animals carved into the trunk—from dinosaurs to gorillas to tropical birds to a deer—begin to awaken in a swirl of color, until the whole tree is alive with light. 

This experience only happens in the winter during daylight savings time and not if the park closes early. Check the My Disney Experience app for times if this is a must-see for your family.

Thousands of people line the streets of downtown Cleveland each April to listen to some of jazz's top musicians perform in concert. The 10-day series, sponsored by Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C), is held at various locations throughout the city.

Founded by Robert De Niro and Jane Rosenthal to contribute to the long-term recovery of Lower Manhattan after 9/11, the Tribeca Film Festival has become one of the world's most prominent such events. There are upward of 250 films—with more than 1,000 screenings at multiple locations including the Tribeca Film Center (TFC 375 Greenwich St., 2nd fl.)—and plenty of buzz. It typically takes place late April to early May.

The longest-operating performance venue in Lower Manhattan, the TriBeCa PAC celebrates theater, music, and dance, including children's and young-adult theater. Along with global and new-artist programming, the center is primarily known for jazz. Tickets are reasonably priced and the space itself is comfortable and polished.

A past Tony Award winner for outstanding regional theater company, this troupe presents classic plays, intimate musicals, and new works by young playwrights, as well as an annual version of A Christmas Carol—all in a renovated former vaudeville house. Shows are presented on two separate stages: the 500-seat Elizabeth and Malcolm Chace Theater and the 250-seat Sarah and Joseph Dowling, Jr. Theater.

Catch the classics and the latest art, independent, and foreign films shown daily in this four-screen theater. A full-concession café with beer and wine is available. This is the place to catch a show in Key West.

The beaux arts Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, considered one of the few acoustically perfect concert halls in the world, attracts top international and U.S. musicians. A full lineup of classical, pop, and jazz concerts is held throughout the year, and the Albany Symphony plays a seven-concert season here from October through May.

When it opened in 1946, the Trustees Theater was one of the largest movie screens in the South. Now run by the Savannah College of Art and Design, it hosts a variety of events, including the Savannah Film Festival. It's also a popular venue for concerts and lectures.

Every February this rural artisan extravaganza brings artists from around the country to exhibit their eclectic, fine, and tourist-oriented art in the charming village of Tubac, about 45 miles south of Tucson.

Much of the city's cultural activity, including opera, touring Broadway shows, and Tucson Symphony concerts, as well as the international gem and mineral show, takes place at the Tucson Convention Center. Within this complex are the Arena, the Linda Ronstadt Music Hall, and the smaller Leo Rich Theater.

Meet local, national, and international authors, attend workshops and readings, and purchase heaps of books at this highly regarded book festival held on the University of Arizona campus the second weekend in March. When the students depart for Spring Break, the University Mall transforms into a bibliophile's wonderland. Kids will enjoy hands-on reading, writing, and science activities.

The small but vibrant jazz scene in Tucson encompasses everything from afternoon jam sessions in the park to Sunday jazz brunches at resorts in the Foothills. The Tucson Jazz Festival brings national and international artists to town for 10 days in mid-January; call for information.