August Wilson Theatre: Tickets, Box Office & Broadway Guide
August Wilson Theatre tickets, current-show and box-office guidance, accessibility, history, and what to know before your Broadway night on West 52nd Street.
The August Wilson Theatre is a Broadway house at 245 West 52nd Street that has been operating under several identities since it opened in 1925 — as the Guild Theatre, then the ANTA Theatre and Virginia Theatre, and since 2005 as the August Wilson Theatre, named for the Pulitzer Prize–winning playwright whose ten-play American Century Cycle stands as one of the most significant bodies of work in American dramatic history. It is currently home to Paranormal Activity: A New Story Live on Broadway, a limited engagement on sale through January 3, 2027.
This guide covers August Wilson Theatre tickets and box-office basics, the current Broadway production, what the theater is like as a room, how to think about seating at a high level, what the name itself means and why it matters, accessibility, the West 52nd Street location, and how to plan a full evening around a visit.
Buying Tickets for the August Wilson Theatre
The current production is Paranormal Activity: A New Story Live on Broadway. Broadway Direct directs buyers to the production’s official ticketing source, and tickets are also available in person at the August Wilson Theatre box office at 245 West 52nd Street. The limited engagement is currently on sale through January 3, 2027.
For show-specific ticket strategy, performance information and audience guidance, use the Stage & Street Paranormal Activity Broadway guide. For the venue itself, this page owns the August Wilson Theatre ticket, box-office, address, accessibility and logistics information.
What Kind of Broadway House This Is
The August Wilson Theatre is one of Broadway’s larger houses — a substantial room that can accommodate major productions across multiple levels and supports the kind of theatrical scale that a smaller playhouse cannot. It sits above the mid-sized range of the district, with a capacity that places it among the houses best suited to large-ensemble musicals and ambitious dramatic productions rather than intimate plays or chamber works.
The room has architectural distinction that predates all three of its names. The original 1925 design gave the house proportions and an interior that have remained broadly intact through the various ownership and identity changes of the intervening century. Arriving at the theater is arriving at a room with genuine presence — not the ornate Baroque elaboration of an Al Hirschfeld or a Shubert, but the particular quality that comes from a well-designed working theater that has been in continuous use for a hundred years.
The August Wilson is best suited to productions that benefit from scale — shows with presence, ambition, and something to fill the room with. It is not the right house for an intimate two-person play in the way that the Booth or the Hayes is, and the productions that have worked best here tend to be ones that use the theater’s size rather than working against it. The current production, Paranormal Activity, uses the house for a large-scale live horror experience built around tension, stage effects and theatrical illusion.
Why This Theater’s Name Matters
Most Broadway theaters are named for producers, theater owners, philanthropists, or the institutions that operate them. The Shubert theaters carry the Shubert name. The Nederlander theaters carry the Nederlander name. A handful honor writers — the Eugene O’Neill and the Neil Simon among them — but for most of Broadway’s history, the names on the marquees belonged to the business side of the art form and were overwhelmingly white.
The August Wilson Theatre broke that pattern in a specific way: it was the first Broadway theater named for an African American. August Wilson was a playwright — nothing more and nothing less. He did not produce Broadway shows, manage theaters, or finance theatrical real estate. What he did was write ten plays, one for each decade of the twentieth century, each one documenting a chapter of Black American life with a depth, specificity, and language that the American theater had not previously achieved at that scale. The renaming was announced shortly before his death in October 2005, and the new name went up on the marquee that same month — a statement about what kind of contribution to the art form the industry considered worth permanent recognition.
August Wilson’s American Century Cycle consists of ten plays — one set in each decade of the twentieth century — tracing the experience of Black Americans from the aftermath of Reconstruction through the century’s end. The cycle includes Fences (for which he won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1987), The Piano Lesson (a second Pulitzer in 1990), Joe Turner’s Come and Gone, Two Trains Running, Seven Guitars, and five others. It is, taken as a whole, one of the most ambitious projects in the history of American drama — and the theater that carries his name on West 52nd Street is the most visible acknowledgment of that ambition’s significance.
For visitors to the theater who know Wilson’s work — and particularly for those who have seen or are planning to see productions of his plays — the name on the marquee is not just a historical fact. It is an ongoing statement about whose voices Broadway considers worth honoring permanently. That is worth knowing before you walk through the door, regardless of what show is currently running inside.
The 2026 Broadway season brought Joe Turner’s Come and Gone back to Broadway at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre (it closed July 26). The next chance to see Wilson in New York is Seven Guitars, his 1940s Century Cycle play, running November 5, 2026 to January 10, 2027 — but not here. It plays Lincoln Center Theater’s Off-Broadway Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater on West 65th Street, so check the venue on your ticket. For visitors who want to understand what the August Wilson Theatre’s name represents, Wilson’s plays remain the clearest route into the body of work being honored on the marquee.
Seating Guide — How to Think About Best Seats
Seat choice at the August Wilson depends primarily on whether you want closeness to the performance or a fuller view of the stage picture — the same fundamental trade-off at most Broadway houses, applied here to a room of substantial size where the distance between orchestra and mezzanine is meaningful.
The strongest seats for most productions. Direct sightlines, close to the performance, maximum immersion. Center orchestra rows D–L are the target area. At a larger house, the quality of center orchestra seats relative to side orchestra is more pronounced — staying center matters here.
Far side orchestra seats at a larger house can have significantly angled sightlines to the opposite side of the stage. The further left or right you go, the more of the stage picture you lose. Center-adjacent side seats are acceptable; extreme side positions are a real compromise at a house this wide.
Further from the stage than the premium zone but still within the orchestra level. For a larger house, rear orchestra rows can feel noticeably distant. Good value if budget matters; less ideal if close-range performance detail is the priority.
Front mezzanine center provides an elevated view of the full stage picture — particularly valuable for productions with elaborate staging that uses the full stage width. Rows A–C center mezzanine are a reliable choice and often better value than equivalent orchestra seats.
The most affordable seats in the house and the furthest from the stage. Works for productions with large-scale staging that reads well at distance. Less suitable for shows where intimate performance detail — a close dramatic play, for example — is the primary draw.
For most productions at a larger house like the August Wilson, front mezzanine center rows A–B offer the best combination of sightlines, full stage view, and price. You see everything simultaneously rather than being inside part of it — which for ambitious productions is often the stronger vantage point.
Verify the current seating configuration before booking. Production-specific staging can affect which sections work best, and the house configuration may vary between productions. The separate August Wilson seating-guide workflow will handle seating-chart, view-from-my-seat and best-seat search intent in depth; this main theater page keeps seating advice concise so it does not compete with that guide.
Accessibility — What to Know Before You Go
The August Wilson Theatre provides accessible seating and assistive services, but the building is not completely wheelchair-accessible. Broadway Direct notes that the main entrance involves steps; a stair lift from the West 52nd Street entrance provides direct access to the Orchestra level, where wheelchair seating is located.
Broadway Direct currently lists wheelchair seating in the Orchestra, a stair lift from the 52nd Street entrance, an accessible restroom near the Orchestra, and assistive-listening devices. Verify the current seating map and access provisions before purchase if mobility or hearing access is central to your visit.
Where the August Wilson Theatre Is
The August Wilson Theatre sits on West 52nd Street between Broadway and Eighth Avenue — in the northern Theater District, above the main cluster of 44th and 45th Street houses and convenient for visitors staying anywhere in Midtown. Hell’s Kitchen is immediately west, which makes pre-show dining logistics favorable.
The northern Theater District position is an advantage for pre-show dining — Hell’s Kitchen’s restaurant density begins immediately west of the theater, and the 52nd Street location puts you within easy walking distance of the neighborhood’s strongest pre-theater options. Broadway Direct lists the C and E at 50th Street as the primary subway approach for this theater. See the guide to getting to a Broadway show for full routing details and the parking near Broadway guide for garage options near this part of 52nd Street.
A Hundred Years on West 52nd Street — Theater History
The theater at 245 West 52nd Street has operated under three distinct identities since it opened in 1925, each reflecting a different chapter of American theatrical culture. The building itself has remained in continuous use throughout — one of the longer uninterrupted operating records in the Broadway district.
The Theatre Guild’s founding identity is worth noting for historical context. The Guild was responsible for some of the most important productions in early twentieth-century American theater — including the original productions of major works by Eugene O’Neill — and the theater on West 52nd Street was built as their permanent home. That origin in serious artistic ambition connects, across nearly a century, to the theater’s current identity as the house named for one of the American theater’s most artistically serious writers.
Current Show — Paranormal Activity
The August Wilson Theatre is currently home to Paranormal Activity: A New Story Live on Broadway, an original stage story inspired by the horror-film franchise. The production began performances in August 2026 and is currently a limited engagement on sale through January 3, 2027.
For show-specific details, ticket strategy, performance information and audience fit, use the Paranormal Activity Broadway guide. This venue page stays focused on August Wilson Theatre tickets, box office, access, location and theater logistics.
Plan the Night Around the August Wilson Theatre
The August Wilson’s position on West 52nd Street makes it particularly well-suited to a Hell’s Kitchen dinner before the show. The neighborhood begins practically at the theater’s doorstep and offers the strongest concentration of reliable pre-theater dining in the Broadway area at this northern end of the district.
Getting there
The C and E at 50th Street provide the most direct subway approach listed by Broadway Direct; walk north to West 52nd Street. Other Midtown subway stations remain within walking distance. Times Square connects to nearly every line in the system and is a short walk south. If driving, midtown garages are available nearby — book in advance for weekend performances. See the guide to getting to a Broadway show for full routing details.
Dinner before the show
Hell’s Kitchen — running west from 8th Avenue and filling the blocks around 9th Avenue — has the widest range of reliable pre-theater options near the August Wilson at every price point. All used to theater-crowd timing and 6:30pm reservations. The restaurants near Broadway guide covers specific picks and the pre-show dining guide covers timing strategy for different show runtimes.
Hotels and overnight stays
The Theater District and Hell’s Kitchen have strong hotel options within walking distance of the August Wilson Theatre at most price points. See the hotels near Broadway guide for the best-positioned options. The Theater District neighborhood guide provides a full orientation to the surrounding area.
Frequently Asked Questions
The August Wilson Theatre is at 245 West 52nd Street in Manhattan, between Broadway and Eighth Avenue in the northern Theater District. Broadway Direct lists the C and E at 50th Street as the primary subway approach. Hell’s Kitchen is immediately west, making it well-positioned for pre-show dining.
For the current production, Broadway Direct directs buyers to the official ticketing source. Tickets can also be purchased in person at the August Wilson Theatre box office at 245 West 52nd Street. For Stage & Street show-specific ticket strategy, use the Paranormal Activity Broadway guide.
The August Wilson Theatre box office is at the theater, 245 West 52nd Street, New York, NY 10019. Box-office hours can vary with the production schedule, so verify current hours before making a special trip.
The August Wilson Theatre is currently home to Paranormal Activity: A New Story Live on Broadway. The limited engagement is on sale through January 3, 2027. Use the Stage & Street Paranormal Activity guide for show-specific ticket and performance planning.
The theater was renamed in 2005 for August Wilson, the Pulitzer Prize–winning playwright whose American Century Cycle — ten plays documenting Black American life decade by decade through the twentieth century — stands as one of the most significant bodies of work in American dramatic history. It was the first Broadway theater named for an African American. The renaming was announced shortly before Wilson’s death in October 2005, and the new name went up on the marquee that same month. The naming section of this guide covers the significance of that distinction in more detail.
No. August Wilson’s Seven Guitars runs November 5, 2026 to January 10, 2027 at Lincoln Center Theater’s Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater, an Off-Broadway house at 150 West 65th Street. The August Wilson Theatre on West 52nd Street is a separate Broadway theater named for the playwright, and it is currently home to Paranormal Activity.
For most productions, center orchestra rows D–L are the premium zone — close to the stage with direct sightlines. Front mezzanine center rows A–C are a strong value alternative that gives you a fuller view of the complete stage picture. At a larger house like the August Wilson, staying center matters more than at a compact theater — far side orchestra seats can have significantly angled sightlines. See the full seating guide section above for more detail on how to think about specific sections.
The theater is not completely wheelchair-accessible. Wheelchair seating is in the Orchestra, and a stair lift from the West 52nd Street entrance provides access to the Orchestra level. An accessible restroom and assistive-listening devices are available. Confirm the current seating map and access arrangements before purchase.
The theater opened in 1925 as the Guild Theatre, built for the Theatre Guild producing organization. It was later known as the ANTA Theatre and then the Virginia Theatre before being renamed the August Wilson Theatre in 2005. The building has been in continuous operation as a Broadway house throughout all of its identity changes.
Yes — it is a substantial Broadway house with genuine character and a hundred years of history, which gives a first-time visitor the authentic experience of what a major Broadway theater looks and feels like. The larger size means no seat feels intimate in the way a smaller house would, but it also means the productions it hosts tend to be major ones that reward the scale of the room. For first-timers seeing Paranormal Activity or another major production at the August Wilson, the theater itself is part of the occasion.
The August Wilson Theatre in Brief
The August Wilson Theatre is a substantial Broadway house with a century of continuous operation, three distinct identities, and a current name that carries more meaning than most Broadway theater namings do. It was the first Broadway theater named for an African American — a statement about whose contributions to the American theater the industry itself considers worth permanent recognition. For visitors who know August Wilson’s work, that name on the marquee is not incidental. For those who do not yet know it, the most direct way to encounter what the name represents this season is Seven Guitars at Lincoln Center Theater, November 5 through January 10.
The current production is Paranormal Activity; for show-specific planning use the Paranormal Activity Broadway guide. For broader Broadway planning, the Broadway hub, Broadway theaters guide, and Theater District neighborhood guide are the right starting points.