The Palace Theatre — Broadway Guide
Seating, history, accessibility, location at the top of Times Square, and what to know before your night out at one of Broadway’s most storied vaudeville-turned-legitimate houses.
The Palace Theatre is one of Broadway’s most historically layered venues — a 1913 theater at 1568 Broadway that sits at the southeast corner of Seventh Avenue and 47th Street, at the very top of Times Square, and carries a century of American performance history from the peak of vaudeville to the current Broadway era. It has 1,648 seats across three levels, is operated by the Nederlander Organization, and is a designated New York City landmark. Its current show is The Lost Boys, the new musical that opened in April 2026.
The Palace is also one of the most recently transformed buildings in the district — it was physically lifted 30 feet as part of a major renovation completed in May 2024, reopening with a substantially upgraded interior after years of construction. This guide covers what the theater is like as a room, how to think about seating (including a specific known sightline consideration in the balcony’s first row), its Times Square location, accessibility details, and the building’s unusual history.
The Palace Theatre entrance within TSX Broadway in Times Square, home to one of Broadway’s most historic theater interiors.
What Kind of Broadway House This Is
The Palace is a large Broadway house — 1,648 seats across orchestra, mezzanine, and balcony — with an auditorium that contains ornate plasterwork, side-wall boxes, and two balcony levels that slope steeply toward the stage. It is designed in the tradition of the grand vaudeville palaces of the early twentieth century: elaborate, vertical, and built to make an impression before anything happens on the stage.
The 2024 renovation — the most significant in the theater’s modern history — restored and upgraded the interior while the building itself was raised to accommodate the TSX Broadway development surrounding it. The renovation was substantial enough to give the Palace what amounts to a fresh start as a Broadway venue while preserving the historical character of the auditorium. The resulting space is one of the more recently refreshed large Broadway houses in the district.
The Palace works well for large-scale productions that need both physical size and a room with personality — shows that can fill the space without feeling swallowed by it. Its Times Square corner position makes it one of the most visible and accessible Broadway venues in the district, and its renovation gives it a contemporary audience-experience standard inside a century-old shell.
The center orchestra and front mezzanine are consistently recommended as the strongest seats in the house. The balcony’s first row has a known sightline consideration — a horizontal bar that can partially obstruct the view of the stage — making rows behind the first balcony row the stronger choice for that level. Box seats are not recommended for sightlines. These are practical, well-documented facts about this specific building that are worth knowing before you book.
Seating Guide — How to Think About the Palace
Center orchestra is the recommended anchor for this theater. The sightlines are strong, the performer detail is clear, and the scale of the auditorium works in your favor at this position. Mid-to-front center orchestra is the premium zone for most productions.
The front mezzanine gives you a slightly elevated full-stage view — well suited to productions with elaborate staging where seeing the complete picture matters. Often a strong value relative to center orchestra pricing. A reliable pick for most visitors.
Further back than front mezzanine but functional for large-scale productions. Better pricing; works well when budget matters more than proximity. The staging of most shows at this scale reads from this distance.
The Palace balcony’s first row has a known sightline issue — a horizontal bar that can block part of the stage view. Rows behind the first balcony row are significantly better. If you are in the balcony, target row 2 or further back rather than the first row regardless of price.
The Palace’s box seats do not provide a clear view of the stage. This is a consistent and well-documented limitation of the theater’s box positions. Avoid box seats at the Palace regardless of their appeal or apparent proximity to the stage.
As with most large Broadway houses, front mezzanine center offers the best combination of sightlines and price. The full-stage picture from a slightly elevated position is often the smartest trade at a theater this size — you see everything without paying center orchestra pricing.
First: avoid the first row of the balcony — a horizontal bar can interrupt the sightline to the stage. Second: box seats at the Palace do not offer clear stage views and are not recommended regardless of availability or pricing. Both of these are specific, documented characteristics of this building that most generic seating advice does not mention clearly enough.
Where the Palace Is — Times Square’s Corner Theater
The Palace sits at 1568 Broadway at the corner of Seventh Avenue and 47th Street — at the very top of Times Square, more Times Square-adjacent than most Broadway theaters. This makes it one of the most visible and easiest-to-find theaters in the district, and one of the most directly connected to the Times Square transit hub.
The Palace’s Times Square position is convenient for transit but means the immediate surrounding streets are dense and touristy — more Times Square energy than the quieter 44th and 45th Street theater blocks. Hell’s Kitchen for pre-show dining is a slightly longer walk west from this position compared to mid-block theaters, but the Times Square restaurant cluster and the 46th Street “Restaurant Row” area are accessible options. See the restaurants near Broadway guide for specifics, and the guide to getting to a Broadway show for transit and parking details.
Accessibility at the Palace Theatre
Fully accessible with elevator service
The Palace Theatre is fully accessible. A passenger elevator connects all levels of the theater, located to the left of the stage. Wheelchair accessible seating is available in the orchestra, rear mezzanine, and balcony (pending availability). Theater representatives are available to meet patrons with disabilities in the lobby and escort them to accessible areas.
Aisle transfer seats throughout the orchestra
For guests with limited mobility, aisle transfer seats — seats with folding armrests — are available at multiple orchestra positions including rows Q, S, U, and W. Mezzanine and balcony aisle transfer seats are also available. The box office or Nederlander’s accessibility team can confirm current specific seat locations.
Assistive listening and low-vision/deaf seating
Headsets for sound augmentation are available at the theater free of charge — guests fill out a brief form to check them out and return them after the show. Low-vision and deaf/hard-of-hearing accessible seats are available in the front orchestra rows. Contact the box office at 212-730-8200 or the Nederlander accessible seating team before your visit to confirm current provisions and to arrange specific seating.
Accessibility details, seat availability, and services can change between productions. Always verify current provisions directly with the Palace Theatre box office or the Nederlander Organization’s accessibility team before finalizing your plans.
From Vaudeville Palace to Broadway Landmark
The Palace’s history is a compressed version of American performance culture across the twentieth century. It opened in 1913 as a vaudeville house funded by Martin Beck, designed by Milwaukee architects Kirchhoff & Rose, and almost immediately became the most prestigious vaudeville venue in the country — playing the Palace was the benchmark of a variety performer’s career from about 1913 to 1929.
The physical act of lifting the Palace 30 feet is one of the more dramatic preservation stories in Broadway history — the theater was moved as a single unit to allow a new building to be constructed beneath it. The building is a New York City designated landmark, which is part of what made straightforward demolition impossible and necessitated the engineering solution of raising the entire auditorium.
Current Show — The Lost Boys
The Palace is currently home to The Lost Boys, the new Broadway musical adapted from the 1987 cult vampire film, directed by Tony Award winner Michael Arden with music by rock band The Rescues and a book by Chris Hoch and David Hornsby. The show opened April 26, 2026, following previews that began in late March. It continues the renovated Palace’s pattern of hosting screen-to-stage adaptations with strong cult followings.
For full information about the show — cast, runtime, age guidance, content advisories, and what to know before you go — see the The Lost Boys Broadway guide. For current tickets and schedule, verify on the official Nederlander/Palace site before booking.
Plan the Night Around the Palace Theatre
Getting there
The Palace’s Times Square location makes it one of the easiest Broadway theaters to reach by subway. The Times Square–42nd Street hub (1, 2, 3, N, Q, R, W, S trains) is a short walk south on Seventh Avenue. The 49th Street station (N, W trains) is literally one block from the theater. See the guide to getting to a Broadway show for full transit and timing details.
Dinner before the show
The Palace’s Times Square position means the immediate restaurant options lean tourist-heavy. The best strategy: walk a few blocks to 46th Street’s Restaurant Row or west toward Hell’s Kitchen for more reliable pre-theater dining options. The restaurants near Broadway guide covers the strongest options near this part of the Theater District. The pre-show dining guide covers timing strategy for different show formats.
Hotels
The Palace is surrounded by Times Square hotels — it is essentially inside the hotel district rather than adjacent to it. Options at every price point are within a few blocks. See the hotels near Broadway guide for positioned recommendations.
Parking
Midtown garages are available in the surrounding blocks. See the parking near Broadway guide for pre-booking options near Times Square and 47th Street.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Palace Theatre is at 1568 Broadway at the corner of Seventh Avenue and 47th Street — at the top of Times Square, in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan. The nearest subway is Times Square–42nd Street (1, 2, 3, N, Q, R, W trains), a short walk south on Seventh Avenue. The 49th Street station (N, W trains) is one block away.
The Palace Theatre is currently home to The Lost Boys, the new Broadway musical adapted from the 1987 cult film, which opened April 26, 2026. Verify current show and schedule on the official Nederlander/Palace site before booking.
Center orchestra and front mezzanine are the strongest positions. One specific note: the first row of the balcony at the Palace has a horizontal bar that can obstruct sightlines to the stage — avoid balcony row 1 and sit in row 2 or further back if you are in the balcony. Box seats at the Palace are also not recommended, as they do not provide a clear view of the stage.
The Palace Theatre has 1,648 seats across orchestra, mezzanine, and balcony levels. The capacity was reduced from approximately 1,740 during the 2024 renovation.
Yes — the Palace is fully accessible with elevator service to all levels (located to the left of the stage). Wheelchair accessible seating is available in the orchestra, rear mezzanine, and balcony. Aisle transfer seats with folding armrests are available at multiple positions throughout the orchestra and mezzanine. Assistive listening headsets are available free of charge at the theater. Contact the box office at 212-730-8200 before your visit to arrange specific accessibility accommodations.
Yes. As part of the TSX Broadway development, the Palace Theatre was physically raised 30 feet in early 2022 as a single unit so that new construction could be built beneath it. The $80 million renovation was completed in May 2024. It is one of the more dramatic structural preservation projects in Broadway history, undertaken because the theater is a designated New York City landmark and could not simply be demolished.
Following its 2024 reopening, the renovated Palace hosted Ben Platt: Live at the Palace (2024), Tammy Faye (2024), Glengarry Glen Ross (2025), and Beetlejuice (2025–26) before The Lost Boys opened in April 2026. The theater was closed from 2018 to 2024 for the TSX Broadway renovation.
Yes — the Palace is a strong choice for first-timers, particularly for productions with broad cultural appeal like its recent slate of screen adaptations. Its Times Square location makes it the easiest Broadway theater to find and reach, and the renovated interior gives it a contemporary audience experience. Just note the specific seating advisories: avoid balcony row 1 and box seats, and prioritize center orchestra or front mezzanine for the clearest view.
The Palace in Brief
The Palace Theatre is one of Broadway’s oldest and most structurally transformed venues — a 1913 vaudeville house that became a Broadway theater in 1966, was raised 30 feet in 2022, and reopened in 2024 as one of the most recently renovated large houses in the district. Its 1,648 seats, Times Square corner address, full accessibility, and recently refreshed interior make it a practical and historically significant venue for large-scale Broadway productions.
Two things to know before you book: avoid balcony row 1 (sightline bar) and avoid box seats (limited view). Otherwise, center orchestra and front mezzanine are the natural choices. For the current show, see the The Lost Boys Broadway guide. For broader planning, start at the Broadway hub or the Theater District neighborhood guide.
The Palace Is Back — Now Pick the Right Night
The Palace is one of Broadway’s great landmark names, now rebuilt into a modern Times Square theater experience. Start with the dedicated seating guide, then connect the show, dining, hotels, transit, parking, and nearby Broadway houses into a full night that actually works.
Palace Seating Chart & Best Seats
Compare Orchestra, Mezzanine, Balcony, box seats, accessibility, sightline warnings, and the best Palace seats for The Lost Boys.
Open Seating Guide Current ShowThe Lost Boys Broadway Guide
Plan around vampire spectacle, rock-musical energy, aerial choreography, stage width, lighting, and Times Square night-out fit.
Open Show GuideBroadway Seating & Ticket Strategy
Seats · Timing · ValueBroadway Seating Guide
Compare Orchestra, Mezzanine, Balcony, boxes, side seats, premium zones, and view tradeoffs across Broadway houses.
All Broadway Theater Guides
Browse every Broadway house guide and compare room scale, location, access notes, and seating strategy across the Theater District.
What’s Playing on Broadway
Compare current and upcoming Broadway productions, then connect each show to the right theater, seat choice, and night plan.
When to Buy Broadway Tickets
Know when buying early matters, when waiting can work, and how timing changes for new musicals and premium center seats.
Last-Minute Broadway Tickets
Compare same-day options without accidentally grabbing rough side angles, box seats, or high Balcony rows that do not fit your group.
Broadway Rush and Lottery Tickets
How discount systems work, what seat tradeoffs to expect, and why cheap seats can be great — or risky — depending on view.
Plan the Palace Theatre Night
Dinner · Hotels · TransitRestaurants Near Broadway
Use the broader Broadway dining guide when you want an easier pre-show meal before heading into the top of Times Square.
Restaurants Near Times Square
Useful for Palace nights when you want to stay close to Broadway, 47th Street, and the busiest Midtown transit blocks.
Pre-Show Dining Guide
Plan reservation timing, walking buffer, arrival, intermission expectations, and post-show movement around a Times Square theater.
Hotels Near Broadway
Compare Theater District, Times Square, Midtown West, and Hell’s Kitchen hotel zones for a Broadway-centered trip.
Hotels Near Times Square
Best for visitors who want short walks, easy subway access, and simple post-show return logistics after a Palace show.
How to Get to a Broadway Show
Subway, walking, rideshare, and arrival timing for Theater District shows, including the Palace’s Times Square location.
How to Get to Times Square
Use subway, walking, Port Authority, or Midtown arrival routes without getting swallowed by the busiest blocks.
Subway to Broadway
Pick the right subway approach for Times Square, 47th Street, Broadway, 7th Avenue, and post-show exits.
Parking Near Times Square
When driving makes sense, when it does not, and how to avoid turning a Palace night into a Midtown garage problem.
Nearby Neighborhood & Theater Guides
Times Square · Theater District · Nearby HousesTimes Square
The practical guide to the Palace’s immediate zone: crowds, hotels, restaurants, subway access, and first-time visitor logistics.
Theater District
Use the broader Theater District guide to connect the Palace with nearby shows, hotels, restaurants, and Broadway planning.
Hell’s Kitchen
A strong pre- and post-show dining base west of the Palace, especially if you want less Times Square noise.
Lyric Theatre Guide
A nearby 42nd Street house useful for comparing big-room spectacle seating, Times Square crowds, and arrival strategy.
Minskoff Theatre Guide
A major Times Square musical house useful for comparing big-room Broadway views, family logistics, and show-night planning.
Marquis Theatre Guide
A nearby Times Square theater useful for comparing modern Broadway room design, hotel access, and crowd flow.