Metropolitan Opera House Seating Chart
The Metropolitan Opera House is the home of the Metropolitan Opera at 30 Lincoln Center Plaza in New York. Designed by Wallace K. Harrison, it opened on September 16, 1966, with Samuel Barber's Antony and Cleopatra. Guinness lists it as the world's largest opera house, with 3,800 seats and 175 standing places. Marc Chagall's two large murals hang in the lobby, and the Met suggests viewing them from the Grand Tier level. Twelve of the auditorium's chandeliers rise to the ceiling before each performance.
Quick answer
Guinness World Records lists the Metropolitan Opera House at 3,800 seats plus 175 standing places, making it the world's largest opera house. Wikipedia's figures don't agree with each other; its auditorium section lists 3,794 seats and 245 standing positions. Reading the Met's 2023 seat map, we count 245 standing spots. We found no seat count on the Met's own site.
- Many side-box seats are partial view.
- Latecomers usually wait until intermission.
- Rush tickets cost $25 online or through the Met's app.
- There is no dress code.
Planning a dinner near Lincoln Center before the opera? Seat 30 guests at 5 tables free, no signup.
Sections at Metropolitan Opera House
The Met has six levels, from the Orchestra up to the Family Circle, with boxes and standing room on several of them. The layout below is read off the Met's September 2023 seat map and its seating-zone notes.
- Orchestra — rows A to Z and AA to EE, with standing room at the back corners
- Parterre — boxes 1 to 29, each with seats in three rows
- Grand Tier — rows A to G, plus side boxes; the Met points visitors here to see the Chagall murals
- Dress Circle and Balcony — rows A to G, with partial-view side boxes
- Family Circle — rows A to K at the top, with partial-view boxes and score desks
Best seats at Metropolitan Opera House
We found no official best-seat guide, but the Met's own zone notes are clear. It says the back row of the Grand Tier side boxes and all side boxes in the Dress Circle, Balcony and Family Circle are partial view. Score desks 301 to 324 in the Family Circle have no view of the stage and no Met Titles, only a desk and reading light. In the Parterre, the front row of the center boxes is sold as premium.
Tips before you go
Latecomers are usually not seated until intermission, but they can watch on screens off the Orchestra level and in List Hall. The house opens 45 minutes before curtain for operas, there is no dress code, and the Met asks guests not to bring bags, parcels or luggage, though handbags are fine. Rush tickets cost $25. You can enter a lottery in the Met's app or buy them online on the day, first come, first served. When a show sells out, a limited number of standing room tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. that day.
How to read the Metropolitan Opera House seating chart
In the Orchestra, the center section is numbered from 101, and the two side sections use odd numbers on one side and even numbers on the other. The Parterre is a ring of boxes numbered 1 to 29, with odd and even boxes on opposite sides.
Higher up, the Grand Tier, Dress Circle and Balcony each run rows A to G, and the Family Circle runs rows A to K. Seat numbers in the 100s and 200s mark the center sections, read off the map.
Met Titles appear on screens on the seat backs in English, Spanish and German, and in Italian for Italian operas. The accessible entrance is on the Concourse level in Founders Hall, with elevators to every seating area.
Building a seating chart for an event at Metropolitan Opera House
Chagall's two murals, The Sources of Music and The Triumph of Music, hang in the lobby on either side of the house. The auditorium has 21 matching chandeliers from Lobmeyr of Vienna, and the Met introduced seat-back titles in 1995. In January 2026 the Met said it would explore selling the murals. News reports say any buyer would have to leave them in place, and we found no report of a completed sale.
Hosting a private event at Metropolitan Opera House?
Sketch your Metropolitan Opera House event in minutes — rounds for dinner service, rows for the presentation, a head table where it belongs. Up to 500 seats per layout, finished as a print-ready PDF the New York event team can work from.
Open the seating chart generatorFrequently asked questions
- How many seats does the Metropolitan Opera House have?
- Guinness World Records lists the Metropolitan Opera House at 3,800 seats plus 175 standing places, making it the world's largest opera house. Wikipedia's figures don't agree with each other; its auditorium section lists 3,794 seats and 245 standing positions. Reading the Met's 2023 seat map, we count 245 standing spots. We found no seat count on the Met's own site.
- What are the best seats at Metropolitan Opera House?
- We found no official best-seat guide, but the Met's own zone notes are clear. It says the back row of the Grand Tier side boxes and all side boxes in the Dress Circle, Balcony and Family Circle are partial view. Score desks 301 to 324 in the Family Circle have no view of the stage and no Met Titles, only a desk and reading light. In the Parterre, the front row of the center boxes is sold as premium.
- What sections does Metropolitan Opera House have?
- Main sections include: Orchestra — rows A to Z and AA to EE, with standing room at the back corners; Parterre — boxes 1 to 29, each with seats in three rows; Grand Tier — rows A to G, plus side boxes; the Met points visitors here to see the Chagall murals. Full breakdown in the sections list above.
- Where is Metropolitan Opera House located?
- The Metropolitan Opera House is at 30 Lincoln Center Plaza, New York, NY 10023. Take the 1 train to 66th Street–Lincoln Center, and the Lincoln Center garage underneath the complex is open 24 hours a day. Ticket pickup is at the box office by the north entrance.
- How do I plan a private event at Metropolitan Opera House?
- Coat check is on the south side of the Concourse level, and the Met's FAQ lists it at $5 per item. Plan your group's pre-opera dinner tables in our free chart maker.