Citizens Opera House Seating Chart
Citizens Opera House, known for decades as the Boston Opera House, is a 2,600-seat theater at 539 Washington Street in downtown Boston. It opened on October 29, 1928 as the B.F. Keith Memorial Theatre, designed by Thomas White Lamb, and reopened in 2004 after a full restoration. Boston Ballet has made it its home, and touring Broadway shows play there through Broadway In Boston.
Quick answer
The theater's website points drivers to nearby garages: the Lafayette Garage at 1 Avenue de Lafayette, Millennium Place at 47 Boylston Street (promo code PARKBOH), the Boston Common Garage, and 75 State Street, or booking through SpotHero. Boston Ballet ticket holders pay $18 for up to 10 hours at the 47 Boylston Street garage.
- The theater is at 539 Washington Street, between the Downtown Crossing and Chinatown Orange Line stops.
- It was the Boston Opera House until a 2019 naming deal with Citizens Bank.
- It seats 2,600 across the orchestra, Dress Circle, Mezzanine and Balcony.
- Private events range from 20 guests to the full 2,600-seat house.
Sections at Citizens Opera House
Citizens Opera House sells seats on four levels: the orchestra on the main floor, then the Dress Circle, the Mezzanine and the Balcony above it. The labels below follow the seat map used by Broadway In Boston.
- Orchestra — Center, Front, Mid, Rear and Side Orchestra on the main floor
- Dress Circle — upstairs seating, built stadium style
- Mezzanine — Front, Rear and Side Mezzanine
- Balcony — Front and Rear Balcony
- Limited View — seats sold at a lower price because part of the stage is blocked
Best seats at Citizens Opera House
The theater does not rank its seats, so use what it does publish. On the main floor, row O sits a little higher than the rows in front of it, which helps if you are seated behind it. Everything on the second floor, the Dress Circle, Mezzanine and Balcony, is stadium style, so each row looks over the one in front. Seats sold as Limited View are cheaper because part of the stage is hidden. Wheelchair seats are on every level.
Tips before you go
Bags larger than 22 by 14 by 9 inches are not allowed, and coat check costs $8 a coat and $5 a bag. Every person needs a ticket, so no lap sitting, even for babies. The lobbies usually open 45 minutes before curtain, and latecomers wait for a break in the show to be seated. The closest T stops are Downtown Crossing and Chinatown on the Orange Line and Boylston on the Green Line.
How to read the Citizens Opera House seating chart
Seat numbers tell you which part of a row you are in. Even numbers are on the right side, odd numbers on the left, and the center block uses numbers in the hundreds, such as 101 or 114. So seat O101 is in the middle of orchestra row O, and seat K26 is on the right side of row K.
Orchestra rows run from A to at least row W. The Dress Circle, Mezzanine and Balcony are all upstairs, and all three are built stadium style, with each row stepped above the one in front.
The entrance is level with the sidewalk, elevators reach every floor, and there are wheelchair seats on every level. An infrared listening system covers the theater, and it is certified by KultureCity as sensory inclusive.
Building a seating chart for an event at Citizens Opera House
The theater rents its spaces through Live Nation. The stage seats 200 for a dinner, the Mezzanine 100, the Grand Lobby and Lower Lobby 60 each, and the VIP Lounge 35; the full house seats 2,600 theater-style. A gala dinner on the stage means fitting round tables into a fixed footprint, so try the layout in the maker first and send the seat list to your caterer.
Hosting a private event at Citizens Opera House?
From dinner rounds to program rows to head tables, lay out your Citizens Opera House event the way the room will actually run. The maker supports up to 500 seats and exports a print-ready PDF for the Boston venue's event staff.
Open the seating chart generatorFrequently asked questions
- Where do you park for the Citizens Opera House?
- The theater's website points drivers to nearby garages: the Lafayette Garage at 1 Avenue de Lafayette, Millennium Place at 47 Boylston Street (promo code PARKBOH), the Boston Common Garage, and 75 State Street, or booking through SpotHero. Boston Ballet ticket holders pay $18 for up to 10 hours at the 47 Boylston Street garage.
- What are the best seats at Citizens Opera House?
- The theater does not rank its seats, so use what it does publish. On the main floor, row O sits a little higher than the rows in front of it, which helps if you are seated behind it. Everything on the second floor, the Dress Circle, Mezzanine and Balcony, is stadium style, so each row looks over the one in front. Seats sold as Limited View are cheaper because part of the stage is hidden. Wheelchair seats are on every level.
- What sections does Citizens Opera House have?
- Main sections include: Orchestra — Center, Front, Mid, Rear and Side Orchestra on the main floor; Dress Circle — upstairs seating, built stadium style; Mezzanine — Front, Rear and Side Mezzanine. Full breakdown in the sections list above.
- Where is Citizens Opera House located?
- Citizens Opera House is at 539 Washington Street, Boston, MA 02111, in the downtown theater district. The Downtown Crossing and Chinatown stops on the Orange Line and Boylston on the Green Line are all close by. For driving, see the parking answer above.
- How do I plan a private event at Citizens Opera House?
- Write to the venue's events team at Live Nation, which books the stage, lobbies, Mezzanine and VIP Lounge for groups of 20 up to 2,600. Then work out who sits where in the free chart builder at the top of this page.