The Old Globe Theatre Complex

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Location: Balboa Park (3 Miles Northeast of Downtown San Diego)

Show Times: Year-round

Cost: $29+ Per Show; Cheaper with Subscriptions; $20 Tickets for those Under 30

Features: Tony Award Winning Theatre is “Home to the Most Acclaimed National Artists, Designers, Directors and Playwrights in the Theatre Industry”. Twenty Productions have gone on to Broadway including Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, The Full Monty, Damn Yankees, and A Catered Affair.

Old Globe TheatreThe Old Globe Theatre Highlights: Broadway Shows get their start in San Diego. Our metropolitan area is nestled into a beautiful natural setting, which provides an ideal environment for creative types to perfect their plays and musicals outside of the limelight. From here, they take their shows on to Broadway.

The Old Globe consists of three theatres, which host fifteen productions each year. They are all small in size providing an intimate environment between the actors and the audience.

What to Expect at the Old Globe

  • Tickets often sell out quickly so be sure to get your tickets early.
  • Old Globe Theatre for Plays

  • For out-of-towners, note it can get cooler than you might expect in the evenings, so consider bringing a long sleeve shirt or light jacket for the outdoor Lowell Davies Theatre.
  • Smoking is not allowed in the theatres but it is allowed immediately adjacent to the theatres (look for the ashtrays). Otherwise, smoking is banned throughout Balboa Park.

Now Playing – Fifteen plays and musicals can be seen at the Old Globe each year. You will find a synopsis of each current and upcoming production as well as information on its performers, photos, articles, and special events.

Outdoor Shakespeare StatuteTheatre Layout – Three Theatres make up the Old Globe Complex. Major works take place in the 580 seat Old Globe Theatre. Second-Stage productions take place in an arena where the audience surrounds the stage. This arena that seats 250 guests is currently under renovation and will be completed in the fall of 2009. In the meantime, the second-stage productions are currently taking place in the adjacent San Diego Art Museum’s arena theater. From July through September, productions can also be seen in the 612-seat Lowell Davies Festival Theatre. Visit the Theatres page on the Old Globe web site to see a layout and seat photos within each theatre.

Broadway Bound Productions – Twenty Old Globe Productions have gone on to Broadway. More recent productions include Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (11 Tony Nominations) and The Full Monty (10 Tony Nominations).

Outdoor Theatre at the Old GlobeInformation on Attending Performances at the Old Globe Theatre Complex

Admission Prices: (Costs are Approximate)

  • Parking is Free
  • Performance costs range from $29 and up. Different dates and times for the same show can have different prices.
  • $20 Tickets are available for most performances for those under 30 years of age.
  • Theatre Subscriptions are popular and provide first dibs on getting the best seats. There are subscription discounts for seniors, students, and military members.
  • Indoor Shakespeare Statute

  • The Box Office is generally open from 12PM – 6PM and can be reached at 1-619-234-5623.

Directions from Google Maps to 1350 El Prado in San Diego, CA 92101. The Old Globe is behind this address for the Museum of Man. Google will recommend surface streets through business and residential areas to reach this address. This is fine. However, if you want to avoid residential streets and gain easier access to larger parking lots, use the directions for 2215 Pan American Road, which will put you right at the corner of Presidents Way and Pan American Road noted in the parking section below.

Parking – The Old Globe does not have a parking lot immediately adjacent to its facility. However, you can pull-up to drop off guests if you access Village Place from Park Boulevard. (Park Boulevard is the same street used to access the main parking area along Presidents Way.)

The closest parking lots are in front of the San Diego San Diego Art Museum and behind the Mingei Museum (labeled as the Museum of the Living Artist on Google Maps). These are small and fill-up quickly. The closest large parking lot is at the corner of Presidents Way and Pan American Road. (Note: Do not make a right turn at the first street you see after turning onto Presidents Way from Park Boulevard. It does not access the parking lot even though it looks like it should.) Once you park, you can walk about 100 yards up a small hill, turn left on El Prado and walk another 40 yards. You will see a side walk on your right that goes behind the Museum of Man to the Old Globe.

If you don’t want to deal with parking hassles that occur for daytime performances on weekends, go to the large parking lots on the opposite side of Park Boulevard. They are on Presidents Way on the east side of Park Boulevard, away from the museums. The Tram starts at the end of the driveway and circulates every 10 minutes from 8:30AM – 6PM. Take it to the Prado stop and then head west (the opposite way from the Pedestrian Mall).

Traffic – Unless there is a major event at Balboa Park, which occurs a few times during the year, getting in and out of Balboa Park is relatively easy using Park Boulevard. If you approach Balboa Park using southbound SR-163, traffic occasionally backs up a little over a mile before reaching the Park Boulevard Exit, which is the same exit for the I-5 northbound. However, the delay will only take a few extra minutes. Likewise, if you are planning to get on SR-163 northbound after leaving Balboa Park, plan on a short delay during the mid and late afternoon hours as a few entrance ramps merge together before reaching the highway. (Learn how to get the latest traffic updates.)

Transit – Buses serving Balboa Park drop passengers off on Park Boulevard near the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center and the San Diego Museum of Natural History. The stop is underneath a pedestrian bridge, which you can take to reach the Old Globe, which is a little beyond the other end of the Pedestrian Mall. (See San Diego Transit Information for the downtown transit map, which includes Balboa Park, and information for the online Transit Planner.)

Balboa Park Map – The map shows a listing of all Balboa Park Museums, attractions, bus and tram stops, and places to eat. You should also print out the Balboa Park Tram Map from the City of San Diego. It is not as detailed but is helpful because it includes names on each of the buildings. With the other map, you need to use a map key to find the name of a building.

Find More Attractions with Similar Themes or Location: *Top San Diego Attractions*, Balboa Park, Performing Arts |

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