The Neighborhood

The National Theatre and Surrounding Attractions

The National Theatre is the oldest cultural institution in the Nation's Capital, and one of the oldest continuously operating theatres in America. This is the oldest theatre in the United States which has presented Class-A Legitimate Productions (Broadway-level professional attractions) throughout its history.

The theatre is located AT 1321 Pennsylvania Avenue, Northwest, in the heart of downtown Washington looking out over Freedom Plaza on Pennsylvania Avenue, three blocks east of the White House. Directly across the Avenue are the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center -- the U.S. government's newest major building (second in size only to the Pentagon) -- and The District Building, historical site of the local government.

Nearby you will find shopping, restaurants, and Metro Center. Next door is the beautiful J.W. Marriott Hotel, "flagship" of the Marriott hotel chain, and "The Shops at National Place," a gallery of boutiques and restaurants. Two blocks away are the elegant Willard Inter-Continental Hotel, Hotel Washington, and the economical family-owned Hotel Harrington. A few blocks away are the Mall, the Washington Convention Center, the new MCI Center sports and concert Arena in the Chinatown area, and the many museums of the Smithsonian Institution and the Corcoran Museum of Art.

With 1676 seats in the orchestra, mezzanine, and balcony, the National Theatre is Washington's "Broadway-type" theatre. It is known as an "actor's theatre" because of its excellent acoustics. Words spoken on the stage can be heard in the balcony without amplification. Audiences applaud its intimacy: the mezzanine and balcony are closer to the stage than in modern theatres. Sharply-raked seating in the upper tiers gives patrons there an excellent view of the stage. Showboat had its world premiere at the National in the 1920's. In more recent times the theatre has been host to the world premieres of West Side Story, M. Butterfly, Crazy for You and Whistle Down the Wind, the American premiere of Amadeus, and pre-Broadway showings of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum and Hello, Dolly!, as well as the inauguration of the National Touring Company of Ragtime.