8 Best Performing Arts Venues in Seattle Center and Lower Queen Anne, Seattle

This 432-seat auditorium at Seattle Center is run by the Cornish College of the Arts as a site for music and theater productions, primarily by students and faculty, as well as arts-related lectures. It presents an opportunity to see inexpensive—sometimes free—performances in a beautiful theater built for the 1962 World's Fair.

This opulent, glass-enclosed structure reflecting the skies and the Space Needle nearby is home to the Seattle Opera and the Pacific Northwest Ballet.The facility houses two auditoriums and a four-story main lobby area where several artworks are on display. Look for Sarah Sze's An Equal and Opposite Reaction, an enormous sculpture of found objects, hanging over the stairs at the north end of the Kreielsheimer Promenade.

Since 1978, On the Boards has been presenting contemporary dance performances, as well as theater, music, and multimedia events. The main subscription series runs from September through May, but events are scheduled year-round.

The lineup of Seattle's resident ballet company and school includes works from celebrated contemporary choreographers as well as a mix of classic and international productions (think Swan Lake and Carmina Burana). Fans of The Nutcracker can rest assured that the timeless production is still part of the company's repertoire. Its season runs from September through June.

Top-notch productions of new works and children's classics are are put on in two neighboring Seattle center theaters. After the show, actors come out to answer questions and explain how a play becomes a play.

Seattle Opera stages productions from September through May in beautiful McCaw Hall, featuring esteemed singers from around the world in a range of classic and contemporary works. They also hold classes, both in-person and online, aimed at making opera accessible and enjoyable—from Opera 101 to seminars on specific composers and operas.

From September through June, the Seattle Rep stages a mix of classics, recent plays that have won acclaim in New York, and work by regional playwrights. The Rep consistently puts on polished, sophisticated productions; you're likely to be engaged by what's playing, even if it's something you've never heard of.

Festival favorites, indie releases, and arthouse gems fill the lineup at this year-round outpost of the Seattle International Film Festival. Its three screens rotate between new releases and themed series, the concession stand serves beer and wine, and the vintage marquee adds neighborhood charm. A second, 90-seat SIFF theater inside Seattle Center screens arthouse and repertory films, along with live broadcasts from the National Theatre.