Walnut Street Theatre
Overview
Expert Summary
Detailed Insights
Walnut Street Theatre offers a consistently delightful experience with high-quality productions, talented casts, impressive staging, and the unique charm of a historic venue. It's a cultural gem providing a variety of shows suitable for different tastes, with friendly staff and comfortable seating (though space can be tight).
Key Highlights
- ✓Consistently high-quality productions with talented casts and impressive staging.
- ✓Charming historic venue adds a unique and special ambiance to each visit.
- ✓Friendly, helpful, and personable staff, including excellent box office personnel.
- ✓Comfortable, padded seating (though legroom can be an issue for some).
- ✓Variety in their season lineup ensures there's something for everyone.
- ✓Discounted tickets may be available for same-day shows at the box office.
- ✓Show performances, singing, and dancing are often phenomenal.
- ✓Ambiance of the theater is amazing, creating a great family experience.
- ✓Lockers are available for coats and bags, offering convenience.
Standout Features
- ⭐Historic venue's unique charm and amazing ambiance.
- ⭐Consistently high-quality productions and talented performers.
- ⭐Friendly, helpful, and humorous box office staff.
- ⭐Comfortable, padded seats (when not constrained by space).
- ⭐Availability of lockers for personal belongings.
Perfect For
Ideal For
💡Pro Tips from Reviews
- →To save on drinks, bring your cup back for discounted refills.
- →Check at the box office for potential discounted, same-day tickets, especially if you're flexible with seating arrangements.
- →Head downstairs for bathrooms and concessions, which may offer more space or options.
- →If using lockers, ensure you have quarters on hand and be prepared to try a few to find a working one.
- →For family shows, consider researching the specific production's content warnings if you are sensitive to profanity or controversial themes.
Things to Consider
- ⚠Seating can be very tight with limited legroom, potentially uncomfortable for average-sized or larger individuals.
- ⚠Some shows marketed as family-friendly (e.g., 'Elf') may contain unexpected profanity, cursing, or controversial social commentary (e.g., references to pro same-sex marriage, hate-filled comments about groups) that some parents find disrespectful or inappropriate for children.
- ⚠Drinks are generally pricey.
- ⚠Theater can get crowded, especially for popular shows.
- ⚠Finding a working locker may require trying multiple units; they require quarters.
Price & Value
Drinks are pricey, but you can get discounted refills by bringing your cup back. Discounted tickets for same-day performances may be available at the box office, offering good value despite potential non-adjacent seating.
♿Accessibility & Special Needs
- •No specific accessibility accommodations were mentioned in reviews.
- •Seating can be very tight with limited legroom, which may pose a challenge for individuals requiring extra space or with mobility concerns.
🍎Food & Drink Policy
- •Drinks are available and are pricey; however, discounted refills are offered if you bring your cup back.
- •Concessions are available downstairs.
🚗Parking Info
- •Parking information was not mentioned in the provided reviews.
👥Crowd Levels
- •Can get a little crowded, especially for popular shows or peak times.
🛡️Safety Features
- •No specific safety features were mentioned in the provided reviews.
⏰When to Avoid
- • If you or your family members require ample legroom or spacious seating.
- • If you are sensitive to unexpected profanity, cursing, or controversial social/political commentary in shows marketed as 'family-friendly'.
- • If you expect to get adjacent seats with discounted box office tickets, as availability may be limited.
Pricing/Package/Events
Pricing & Packages
Mainstage 5-Show Subscription (Previews: Tues-Fri Eve & Sun Eve)
$145Duration: Entire 2025-26 Mainstage Season
Subscription pricing for the first week of run and Tuesday of Week B for Mainstage shows.
Includes:
- •5 Mainstage shows (MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET, A CHRISTMAS STORY The Musical, SHERLOCK HOLMES: THE GREAT DETECTIVE, Edward Albee's A DELICATE BALANCE, 1776 The Musical)
Mainstage 5-Show Subscription (Previews: Sat-Sun Matinee & Sat Eve)
$195Duration: Entire 2025-26 Mainstage Season
Subscription pricing for the first week of run and Tuesday of Week B for Mainstage shows.
Includes:
- •5 Mainstage shows (MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET, A CHRISTMAS STORY The Musical, SHERLOCK HOLMES: THE GREAT DETECTIVE, Edward Albee's A DELICATE BALANCE, 1776 The Musical)
Mainstage 5-Show Subscription (Weeks B-E: Tues-Fri Eve & Sun Eve)
$235Duration: Entire 2025-26 Mainstage Season
Subscription pricing for Weeks B-E for Mainstage shows.
Includes:
- •5 Mainstage shows (MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET, A CHRISTMAS STORY The Musical, SHERLOCK HOLMES: THE GREAT DETECTIVE, Edward Albee's A DELICATE BALANCE, 1776 The Musical)
Mainstage 5-Show Subscription (Weeks B-E: Wed-Fri Matinees)
$230Duration: Entire 2025-26 Mainstage Season
Subscription pricing for Weeks B-E for Mainstage shows.
Includes:
- •5 Mainstage shows (MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET, A CHRISTMAS STORY The Musical, SHERLOCK HOLMES: THE GREAT DETECTIVE, Edward Albee's A DELICATE BALANCE, 1776 The Musical)
Mainstage 5-Show Subscription (Weeks B-E: Sat-Sun Matinee & Sat Eve)
$265Duration: Entire 2025-26 Mainstage Season
Subscription pricing for Weeks B-E for Mainstage shows.
Includes:
- •5 Mainstage shows (MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET, A CHRISTMAS STORY The Musical, SHERLOCK HOLMES: THE GREAT DETECTIVE, Edward Albee's A DELICATE BALANCE, 1776 The Musical)
Walnut Street Theatre for Kids 2-Show Package
$35Duration: 2025-26 WST for Kids Season
Purchase both kids shows and save, equates to $17.50 per ticket, per show.
Includes:
- •Charles Dickens’ A CHRISTMAS CAROL
- •Disney’s NEWSIES JR.
Tix-for-Two Gift Package
$175Duration: Entire season purchased (expires June 30 of that season)
Good for two tickets to any one Mainstage performance. Recipient chooses show, date, and performance time. Saves up to 40% off regular ticket prices. Excludes donor VIP seat locations.
Includes:
- •Two tickets to any one Mainstage performance
Events & Schedule
Special Events(Last 2 months - Next 6 months)
Annual Gala
Fall Fundraiser
Theatre Tours
My Son The Waiter: A Jewish Tragedy & STILL Not Famous!
Kids Night at the Walnut
🍎Food Policy
- • Refreshments are available (implies items sold, but no specific policy on outside food).
📅Booking Policy
- • Tickets can be purchased via Box Office & Tickets.
- • Subscriptions are available (Subscribe Now).
- • Gift Certificates can be purchased at the theatre, online, or by calling 215-574-3550, and are redeemable in person or by phone.
- • Tix-for-Two can be purchased at the theatre, by calling 215-574-3550, or ordering online.
🚗Parking Information
- • Directions & Parking information is available under 'Your Visit'.
What People Say
What's Great
- Friendly and helpful staff (mentioned in 7 reviews)
- Fun and entertaining activities (mentioned in 3 reviews)
- Spacious play areas (mentioned in 3 reviews)
Areas for Improvement
- Can get crowded during peak times (mentioned in 2 reviews)
Recent Reviews
Melissa Maisonet
4 weeks agoWent to the Walnut Theater for the first time and had such a beautiful time. Great show and had nice seats. Every staff person were so nice and helpful. Drinks were pricey but remember to bring your cup back if you get a refill, because then it's discounted. Highly recommend this theatre.
Bhavana Mehta
2 months agoI've attended several shows at the Walnut Street Theatre in Philadelphia, and it's always a delightful experience. The productions are consistently high-quality, with talented casts and impressive staging. The historic venue adds a unique charm, making each visit special. Seating is comfortable, and the staff is friendly and helpful. The variety in their season lineup ensures there's something for everyone. I highly recommend catching a performance here; it's a cultural gem in the city.
S King
4 months agoWe had a marvelous time at the Walnut Street Theatre! While walking by, we decided to stop at the box office to check for discounted tickets to Elf later that evening. The gentleman at the box office was fantastic—polite, humorous, and full of personality. He teased us about being out-of-towners and made the experience even more enjoyable. Although we couldn’t get seats together, we were thrilled with the selection and the discounted price. The show itself was delightful—entertaining and well-executed. Buddy’s enthusiasm was pure joy, and the elf legs were a hilarious touch! The theater itself was charming, and I recommend heading downstairs for the bathrooms and concessions. Thank you for a wonderful evening!
Miss E
5 months agoSaw Elf on November 30, 2024 the 2:00pm show @WST A beautiful old theater though the seats are newer and padded they are also VERY tight. If you’re a large person… forget it. You won’t fit. No leg room whatsoever! Can be uncomfortable for an average size person. The singing & dancing were phenomenal! Very talented performers. 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🎭❤️👏🏻👏🏻However, especially for parents, to be aware that in some scenes the actors swore & cursed. (And there were plenty of kids in the audience) Also a reference to pro same sex marriage & a hate filled comment about the Mormons. Disrespectful & uncalled for. (Certainly common sense was not used in the writing of the script.)Especially for those spending their money on a ticket to see a show that’s supposed to be for everyone to enjoy & feel comfortable. That really took away from the talented players in the show.
Melissa Barnhardt Martin, ABR, Realtor
4 months agoTook the family to see Elf for the holidays. We had a great experience. The ambience of the theater is amazing. It gets a little crowded but that's to be expected. Getting to our seats was easy. The seats were comfortable and had a great view. We used the lockers for our heavy coats. We had to try 3 lockers before we found one with a working lock. Make sure you have quarters! A great experience.