Beacon Theatre

Upper West Side & Central Park


This historic 1928 theater is a perfect medium-size venue with 2829 seats (not a terrible one in the house) and a constant flow of popular acts from ZZ Top to Bob Dylan (plus comedians like Jerry Seinfeld and Patton Oswalt). A 2009 restoration left the gilded interiors – a mix of Greek, Roman, Renaissance and rococo design elements – totally sparkling.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Upper West Side & Central Park attractions

1. Dakota Building

0.38 MILES

A turreted, gabled building described in 1884 as so far uptown it was in 'the Dakotas,' this sand-colored gem quickly became the epitome of cool, housing…

2. American Museum of Natural History

0.38 MILES

Founded back in 1869, this venerable museum contains a veritable wonderland of more than 34 million objects, specimens and artifacts – including armies of…

3. New-York Historical Society

0.39 MILES

As the antiquated hyphenated name implies, the Historical Society is the city’s oldest museum, founded in 1804 to preserve historical and cultural…

4. Children's Museum of Manhattan

0.43 MILES

This small museum features interactive exhibits scaled down for the 0 to 10-year-old set, including toddler discovery programs and exhibits that stimulate…

5. Strawberry Fields

0.45 MILES

Standing inside the park across from the famous Dakota Building, where John Lennon was fatally shot in 1980, is this poignant, tear-shaped garden – a…

6. American Folk Art Museum

0.49 MILES

This small institution offers rotating exhibitions in three small galleries. Past exhibits have included quilts made by 19th-century soldiers and…

7. Lincoln Center

0.55 MILES

This stark arrangement of gleaming modernist temples houses some of Manhattan’s most important performance companies: the New York Philharmonic, the New…

8. David Rubenstein Atrium

0.64 MILES

The David Rubenstein Atrium is a modern public space behind the Empire Hotel offering a lounge area (with free wi-fi), a cafe, and a TKTS booth selling…