Steve Brown
Delacorte Theater Central Park
The Delacorte Theater is famous for annual productions like Shakespeare in the Park.
Select paths around the Delacorte Theater are closed due to construction on the building. Please follow detour signs. Restrooms at the Delacorte Theater are currently closed.
The Delacorte Theater, established in 1962, can be found just off 80th Street on the southwest corner of the Great Lawn. It is best known for The Public Theater's free Shakespeare in the Park production, one of New York City's most beloved summer traditions.
Tens of thousands of New York natives and visitors come to the Delacorte to enjoy free Shakespeare every year, and two plays are produced each summer. Tickets to the shows are free, for anyone who is prepared to wait in line on the morning of the performance to obtain them.
The theater itself is an open-air venue, which boasts a seating capacity of 1,872, offering clear views of the stage from any seat in the house. Both Turtle Pond and the majestic Belvedere Castle can be seen in the background, completing the picturesque setting for this renowned Central Park icon.
Renovations for 2025
The theater is currently getting a significant makeover, slated for completion in the summer of 2025. This extensive project, with a budget around $80 million, aims to modernize the space, making it more inviting, accessible, and environmentally friendly.
The upgrades address safety regulations, modernize backstage operations, and enhance the overall performance experience.
The design will preserve the theater's original aesthetic while incorporating sustainable features, such as repurposed redwood from old New York City water tanks for the exterior.
Accessibility is a key priority, with improvements to walkways and redesigned public restrooms to increase capacity and improve access to nearby areas of the park.
New lighting structures are also being installed, along with a barrier to keep wildlife out of backstage zones.
History
The Delacorte Theater, operated by The Public Theater, founded by Joseph Papp, has hosted numerous productions of classic plays in addition to those by Shakespeare, such as Anton Chekov's The Seagull and Bertolt Brecht's Mother Courage and Her Children.
While the theater is responsible for having introduced many new talents to the stage, it also frequently employs well-known actors and actresses, including Meryl Streep, Al Pacino, and Philip Seymour Hoffman.
Location History
When the Shakespeare Festival initially transitioned from using various venues across the city to staging shows in Central Park, they faced the challenge of not having a permanent theater at their disposal. Consequently, they resorted to presenting performances on the expansive Great Lawn, situated in front of Turtle Pond.
The Great Lawn encompasses approximately 30 acres of flat terrain. At that time, the body of water now known as Turtle Pond went by the name Belvedere Lake, referencing the castle located nearby. Productions were staged on temporary setups specifically erected for the season, while theatergoers either occupied folding chairs or laid out their blankets on the ground to enjoy the shows.
It was within this particular area that the parks commissioner voiced concerns about damage caused by patrons (although one could argue that the presence of baseball fields in the vicinity may have also contributed to soil compaction).
When founder Joseph Papp decided to address the issue through legal means, the commissioner eventually relented. Subsequently, the commissioner managed to secure funds from the city, along with private donations, to construct a theater for future use.