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Kennedy Center in Washington, DC

Washington, DC's Premier Performing Arts Venue

By Rachel Cooper, About.com

Kennedy Center from the Potomac River

Photo by Rachel Cooper
The Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, officially named the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, is the city's premier performance venue, providing approximately 3,000 performances per year. The Kennedy Center is the home to the National Symphony Orchestra, Washington Opera, Washington Ballet and American Film Institute. Performances include theatre, musicals, dance, orchestral, chamber, jazz, popular, & folk music; youth and family programs and multi-media shows. Free daily performances are held on the Millennium Stage in the Grand Foyer.

The Kennedy Center has three main theaters: A Concert Hall, an Opera House and the Eisenhower Theater. Other performance venues include the Terrace Theater, the Theater Lab, and the Millennium Stage. Two restaurants are on site: The Roof Terrace Restaurant and the KC Café. The premier performing arts venue is located right along the Potomac River and the terrace provides a great view of the Potomac, Theodore Roosevelt Island and Georgetown.

How to Get to the Kennedy Center

The Kennedy Center is located at 2700 F. St. NW, Washington, DC near the Foggy Bottom/George Washington Univ. Metro Station. From there it is a short walk via New Hampshire Ave. OR you may use the FREE Kennedy Center Show Shuttle. On-site parking in the garage is $15 per performance.

Tour the Kennedy Center

You may take a free guided tour of the Kennedy Center from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday and Sunday. Tours depart from the parking plaza on Level A, and feature the Hall of States and Hall of Nations, the Center's main theaters, and explore the paintings, sculptures, and other artworks throughout the center.

For Schedules and Tickets, see the official site

See also, Restaurants Near the Kennedy Center

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