Ordway Center for the Performing Arts Seating Chart
A performing-arts center in downtown Saint Paul, Minnesota, opened in 1985 overlooking Rice Park. The Ordway is home to the Minnesota Opera, the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, and a touring-Broadway series, with its Music Theater featuring a horseshoe of stacked balconies that wraps the audience close to the stage.
Sections at Ordway Center for the Performing Arts
Ordway Center for the Performing Arts's seating bowl is organized into the following main sections. Section layout differs by event — a sports configuration and a concert configuration of the same arena are not the same chart.
- Orchestra — main floor closest to the stage
- Orchestra rear — back rows of the main floor
- First Balcony — lowest balcony level
- Second Balcony — middle balcony level
- Third Balcony — upper balcony level
- Side boxes — premium positions near the stage
Best seats at Ordway Center for the Performing Arts
Center orchestra rows from about row F to P give the warmest sound and a full view of the stage. The First Balcony center is a top pick, with a clean head-on sightline and a closer feel than its height suggests.
Tips before you go
The center overlooks Rice Park in walkable downtown Saint Paul, with garages a short covered walk from the doors. Confirm whether your ticket lists the Music Theater or the smaller Concert Hall, since the Ordway runs both spaces.
How to read the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts seating chart
Ordway Center for the Performing Arts seats 1,900 on stacked levels facing the stage, so reading the chart means thinking in tiers rather than rings. The orchestra — the main floor — sits closest to the stage; above it the mezzanine and then the balcony step back and up, and box seats line the sides. Lower row letters are nearer the stage, center sections face it square on, and side sections trade a straight view for a lower price.
Three things decide a Ordway Center for the Performing Arts seat: how far from the stage you are, whether you sit center or off toward a side aisle, and which level you are on. For a theater this size, the value sweet spot is usually the front of the mezzanine at center — an unobstructed, elevated view of the whole stage without orchestra-row prices. Watch for overhang and any "partial view" note on your seat, and cross-check the official Ordway Center for the Performing Arts map before you buy.
Building a seating chart for an event at Ordway Center for the Performing Arts
Hosting a suite night, a group outing, or a private event in the Saint Paul area? A seating chart keeps the group organized before you ever reach the gates. Map your party onto tables that mirror the suite or section layout, assign each guest a spot, and export a PDF so everyone knows where they sit. For a private event in a banquet space near Ordway Center for the Performing Arts, the same tool lays out rounds, banquet tables, and head tables, then prints a chart the venue's event-services team can work from. Capacity at Ordway Center for the Performing Arts runs to 1,900 for its main configuration, but most private events use a fraction of that in a club, suite, or adjacent hospitality space — exactly the scale the maker below is built for.
Hosting a private event at Ordway Center for the Performing Arts?
Build your own seating chart for the event — banquet rounds for the dinner portion, theater rows for the program, whatever the format calls for. The Seat Chart App maker handles layouts up to 500 seats and exports a print-ready PDF to share with the venue's event team.
Open the seating chart generatorFrequently asked questions
- How many seats does Ordway Center for the Performing Arts hold?
- Ordway Center for the Performing Arts has a capacity of 1,900 seats. Capacity varies by event configuration — a concert may use floor seating that a basketball game doesn't, and a private buyout uses a different count than a public event.
- What are the best seats at Ordway Center for the Performing Arts?
- Center orchestra rows from about row F to P give the warmest sound and a full view of the stage. The First Balcony center is a top pick, with a clean head-on sightline and a closer feel than its height suggests.
- What sections does Ordway Center for the Performing Arts have?
- Main sections include: Orchestra — main floor closest to the stage; Orchestra rear — back rows of the main floor; First Balcony — lowest balcony level. Full breakdown in the sections list above.
- Where is Ordway Center for the Performing Arts located?
- Ordway Center for the Performing Arts is in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Check the venue's official website for the exact address, parking options, and public transit access closest to your seat section.
- How do I plan a private event at Ordway Center for the Performing Arts?
- For private events, build a seating chart that maps to the venue's section layout using the Seat Chart App maker below. Drop tables to match your event's footprint within the venue's space, assign guests, and export a PDF to share with the venue's event-services team.