FAQs for Newcomers
How do I get to the Met?
Please refer to the Lincoln Center website for information regarding construction activity.
We are located on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City, between West 62nd and 65th Streets and Columbus and Amsterdam Avenues. View Our Map.
Public Transportation
To get to the Met via Subway
Take the No. 1 train to 66th Street (Lincoln Center) Station.
Via Bus
Take the M5, M7, M10, M11, M20, M66, M104 or BxM2 lines.
Driving Directions
From Long Island
Take Long Island Expressway to Midtown Tunnel. Follow signs to Uptown/West Side and go cross-town at 34th Street to 8th Avenue. Turn right on 8th Avenue and follow to 59th Street. Turn right onto Columbus Circle. Turn right onto Broadway. Turn left onto West 62nd Street. Cross Columbus Avenue. Lincoln Center parking lot entrance is on right.
From Southern New Jersey
Take the Lincoln Tunnel or Holland Tunnel.
From Lincoln Tunnel
Merge left onto Dyer Avenue. Turn left onto West 42nd Street. Turn right onto 10th Avenue, which becomes Amsterdam Avenue. Turn right onto West 62nd Street and the Lincoln Center parking lot entrance in on the left.
From Holland Tunnel
Follow signs to Exit 1 (Uptown and Canal Street) into Laight Street. Follow Laight Street to West Side Highway (Joe DiMaggio Highway). Follow to 56th Street, staying to the right after 42nd Street. Turn right onto West 56th Street. Turn left onto 11th Avenue. Turn right on West 65th Street. Cross Amsterdam Avenue. Lincoln Center parking lot entrance is on right underneath the overpass.
From Northern New Jersey
Take I-95 North/US-9 North/US 1 North. This becomes I-95 North/Upper Level George Washington Bridge/US-9. Take the Henry Hudson Parkway/178th Street exit. Follow signs to Henry Hudson Parkway South/West Side Highway (Joe DiMaggio Highway). Merge onto Henry Hudson Parkway South. Take the West 79th Street exit. Go east on 79th Street to Broadway. Turn right onto Broadway. At 65th Street bear right onto Columbus Avenue and follow it to West 62nd Street. Turn right onto West 62nd Street. Lincoln Center parking lot entrance is on right.
From Southern Connecticut
Take I-95 South to Cross Bronx Expressway. Take last Manhattan exit on Cross Bronx Expressway (leading towards George Washington Bridge) and take Henry Hudson Parkway South. Take the West 79th Street exit. Go east on 79th Street to Broadway. Turn right onto Broadway. At 65th Street bear right onto Columbus Avenue and follow it to West 62nd Street. Turn right onto West 62nd Street. Lincoln Center parking lot entrance is on right.
From Westchester County
Travel south to get onto Route 9 South (from Saw Mill Parkway). Route 9 becomes Henry Hudson Parkway South/West Side Highway (Joe DiMaggio Highway). Take Henry Hudson Parkway South to the West 79th Street exit. Go east on 79th Street to Broadway. Turn right onto Broadway. At 65th Street bear right onto Columbus Avenue and follow it to West 62nd Street. Turn right onto West 62nd Street. Lincoln Center parking lot entrance is on right.
From Rockland County/Upstate New York
Take New York State Thruway south to Palisades Parkway south to the George Washington Bridge. Cross the bridge and follow signs to Henry Hudson Parkway South/West Side Highway (Joe DiMaggio Highway). Merge onto Henry Hudson Parkway South. Take the West 79th Street exit. Go east on 79th Street to Broadway. Turn right onto Broadway. At 65th Street bear right onto Columbus Avenue and follow it to West 62nd Street. Turn right onto West 62nd Street. Lincoln Center parking lot entrance is on right.
Return to Top Where do I Park?
The Lincoln Center "park and lock" parking garage is located underneath Lincoln Center. It is open to the public 24 hours a day.
The entrances are on West 65th Street (between Columbus and Amsterdam Avenues) and West 62nd Street (between Columbus and Amsterdam Avenues).
For more information, please call 1-877-909-PARK. To make parking reservations within three weeks of a performance date, please call Centercharge at 212-721-6500.
Return to Top What access and parking is available for visitors with disabilities?
Wheelchairs
To make advance arrangements for wheelchair location tickets, please call 212-362-6000.
For information and to arrange wheelchair assistance, please call 212-799-3100, extension 2204.
The wheelchair access entrance is on the Concourse level (Founders Hall). There is a wheelchair accessible telephone in Founders Hall and an accessible ladies’ rest room in Founders Hall and gentlemen’s and ladies’ rest rooms on the Dress Circle level.
For information on parking in the “yellow” wheelchair accessible section reserved through Lincoln Center parking, please call 212-874-9021. The entrance for this section is on Amsterdam Avenue, one hundred feet North of 62nd Street.
Hearing Loss
Wireless headsets which work with the Sennheiser Infrared Listening System to amplify sound are available at the coat check station on the South Concourse Level before performances. A major credit card or driver's license is required for deposit. These headsets are provided as a free service for our audience members and no ticket refunds will be made for any malfunctions of this service.
Visual Impairment
Large print programs are available from the ushers free of charge.
Braille synopses of many operas are available free of charge. Please contact an usher.
A limited number of Family Circle score desk seats with no view of the stage are available for $15 for opening nights for new productions, $20 for opening nights for Met premieres and $10 for all other opera performances. For information, please contact the Metropolitan Opera Guild Education Department at 212-769-7028, or order here.
Seeing eye dogs are always allowed in the Met. Please call 212-799-3100 ext. 2204 to arrange assistance to your seat.
Return to Top Can I rent binoculars or assisted-listening systems?
Binoculars are available for rental at the coat check station on the South Concourse level.
Wireless headsets which work with the Sennheiser Infrared Listening System to amplify sound are available at the coat check station on the South Concourse Level before performances. A major credit card or driver’s license is required for deposit.
Return to Top How do I buy tickets?
Information on subscriptions may be found here.
Tickets to individual performances may be requested…
By using this Web site — via our Calendar.
By Mail — to Met Ticket Service, Metropolitan Opera, Lincoln Center, New York, New York 10023, U.S.A.
By Phone — Call 212-362-6000: Monday to Saturday 10:00 am to 6:00 pm and Sunday 12:00 noon to 6:00 pm Eastern Time
By Fax — 212-870-7695 for International ticket orders
At the Box Office Window —
Monday to Saturday
The box office opens at 10:00 am and closes after the first intermission of the evening performance. If there is no evening performance or intermission, the hours are 10:00 am – 8:00 pm.
Sunday
Noon – 6:00 pm
Through Group Sales — For 15 or more tickets to a performance, call 212-501-3410 Monday through Friday 10:00 am to 6:00 pm Eastern Time, or fax 212-721-4357
Return to Top Are there any discount tickets?
Agnes Varis and Karl Leichtman Rush Ticket Program
The rush-ticket program returns, thanks once again to a generous gift from Met Board member Agnes Varis and her husband, Karl Leichtman. Two hundred orchestra seats are available for $20 each Monday through Thursday, excluding galas and opening nights of new productions. Provision for senior citizens and those with special needs to be announced.
Standing Room Tickets
Standing Room Tickets go on sale at 10 am on the day of the performance. For more information please call 212-362-6000.
$20 Orchestra Standing Room Tickets
Monday – Saturday evenings: May be purchased at the box office, by phone and online
Saturday Matinees: May be purchased at the box office or by phone
$15 Family Circle Standing Room Tickets
Monday – Friday: May be purchased when Family Circle seating is sold out, at the box office, by phone and online
Saturday Matinees: May be purchased at the box office or by phone
Saturday Evenings: May be purchased at the box office, by phone and online
Standing Room Gala Events tickets are available in the Orchestra for $35 per ticket and in the Family Circle for $25 per ticket.
Student Discount Tickets
Student Discount Tickets for full time students, age 29 or under, are available at 10 am on the day of the performance (pending availability), and may be purchased at the Metropolitan Opera Box Office only. Prices are $25 for weekday performances and $35 for Friday and Saturday performances. A valid student ID and proof of age must be presented at the time of purchase.
A facility fee of $2.50 for each ticket will be added to the price for the ongoing maintenance of the Metropolitan Opera House. We are aware that some elementary schools do not provide a student ID.
Exceptions will be made when the student is present at the time of purchase.
Limit two tickets per performance.
Corporate Discount Tickets
Discounts are available for employees of our Corporate Discount program. Please check with your company to see if it participates or contact the Met at 212-362-6000.
Return to Top What is your refund, cancellation and cast change policy?
It is standard policy at the Met that there are no refunds, exchanges or cancellations. Casting is subject to change without notice. Subscribers do have certain exchange privileges, which are explained in our Subscriptions section. If you are unable to use your tickets, you may donate them to the Metropolitan Opera for resale until curtain time by calling Met Ticket Service at 212-362-6000, or by mailing unripped tickets to:
Metropolitan Opera
P.O. Box 1704
New York, NY 10023
Ticket donations must be received prior to the performance. Once donated tickets are received by the Met, a tax receipt will be issued by mail approximately four weeks after the performance date. If you choose to donate your ticket in person at the Box Office, a tax receipt will be issued at that time.
Return to Top Do you have foreign language assistance?
Call 212-362-6000 and tell our representative that you would like to speak with a translator. Assistance is available in more than 140 languages, including Cantonese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish. There is no additional charge for this service. Monday to Saturday 10:00 am to 8:00 pm and Sunday 12:00 noon to 6:00 pm Eastern Time (summer hours: Monday to Friday 10:00 am to 6:00 pm).
Return to Top Is the opera translated?
Yes, all operas are translated via Met Titles. Met Titles are a custom designed system for simultaneous translation created by the Metropolitan Opera. They are available for all opera performances.
The Met Titles are seen on individual screens on the seat backs, on stanchions and at all Standing Room locations except the Grand Tier.
The screen is controlled by each viewer, so that any audience member who wishes not to utilize Met Titles can choose not to turn them on.
The screens are polarized, therefore they are not easily visible from either side, to minimize intrusion on neighboring seats.
Displays in some boxes slide or pivot to facilitate seating and optimize viewing. Please consult with an usher for instructions on how to adjust these displays.
Prior to use and before each act begins, each unit will display the message “Met Titles: press to view.” To activate the titles, push the red button by the screen. The titles must be re-activated before each act. When activated, prior to the curtain going up, the screen will indicate which act is upcoming.
Please note that titles will appear at irregular intervals as needed, and there will be periods during performances where titles are not appropriate and the screen will be dark.
Met Titles are provided as a free service for our audience members and no ticket refunds will be made for any malfunctions of this service. Should you require any assistance with your Met Titles screen, please consult with an usher.
Return to Top What is the dress code?
There is no dress code at the Met. People dress more formally for Galas or openings of new productions, but this is optional. We recommend comfortable clothing appropriate for a professional setting.
Return to Top Are children allowed?
Yes; However, all attendees, including children, must be ticketed for the performance. If you choose to bring a child and he/she creates a disturbance or interferes with the anyone's enjoyment of the performance, you and the child will kindly be asked to watch the remainder of the performance in List Hall.
Return to Top What if there is inclement weather?
Metropolitan Opera performances are rarely cancelled, but in the event of inclement weather or other problems that prohibit travel you may call 212-362-6000 for more information.
Return to Top What if I'm late to the performance?
Latecomers will not be admitted to the auditorium until intermission or on rare occasions when the Conductor has designated an appropriate interval for seating. Warning chimes are sounded pre-performance and intermission at 8 minutes and 4 minutes prior to curtain. Audience members who leave the auditorium during a performance will not be readmitted until intermission or at an appropriate interval, if one has been designated by the Conductor.
There are areas off the North and South sides of the Orchestra level and in List Hall where latecomers may watch the performance on color screens until an appropriate time of entry.
Return to Top Where can I eat?
The Grand Tier Restaurant serves a special Tuscan menu at the Metropolitan Opera House, inspired by Florentine Chef Umberto Montano. Savor dishes that balance sophisticated Italian cuisine with age-old, traditional techniques. The Grand Tier Restaurant at the Metropolitan Opera is now open two hours prior to curtain to all Lincoln Center ticket-holders for pre-curtain and intermission dining. For reservations please call 212-799-3400, book online or visit www.grandtierny.com .
The Revlon Bar offers light snacks and a full-service bar. It is also open two hours prior to curtain for pre-curtain and intermission dining.
The Belmont Room is available for pre-performance dining and intermission cocktail service for Guild Members at the Donor Level (or higher) and Met Patrons. Pre-curtain and intermission bars are located in Founders Hall and on the Orchestra, Parterre (Parterre Box ticket holders only), Grand Tier and Family Circle levels. Snacks are available.A pre-curtain and intermission bar is available in the Board Room for the members of the Metropolitan Opera Patron Program.
Return to Top What can I bring?
Although you may bring a coat and other personal items such as handbags or umbrellas, please do not bring bags, parcels or luggage to the Metropolitan Opera House.
Please note that food and beverages are not permitted in the auditorium.
Due to increased security measures, the Opera House will open forty-five minutes prior to scheduled curtain times for operas, and thirty minutes prior to scheduled curtain times for ballets. Please come at your earliest convenience to avoid delays.
Return to Top Is there a Coat Check?
There is a coat check station located on the South Concourse level.
There is a private coat check for members of the Metropolitan Opera Patron Program located in the lobby of List Hall.
Dinner hour checking is available on the North side of the Grand Tier starting 2 hours prior to curtain; coats are moved from the Grand Tier to the Concourse Level at 30 minutes prior to curtain.
An usher is available on the Parterre level during the dinner hour for those seated in the Parterre boxes who would like to leave their coats in their boxes.
Return to Top What if I lose or find something?
Found items may be turned in to an usher.
For lost items, inquiries should be made at the Chief Usher’s Office on the day of the event.
Thereafter, please contact the Security Office at 212-799-3100, extension 2499. Hours are Monday - Friday, 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm, Eastern Time. We will return voice mail messages and inquiries the following business day.
Return to Top May I smoke there?
In compliance with New York City Department of Health Regulations, smoking is prohibited in all areas of the theater.
Return to Top May I use my cell phone or beeper?
Patrons with cellular telephones, alarm watches and/or electronic paging systems must turn them off prior to entering the auditorium.
Return to Top May I take photos or record anything?
No, the photographing or sound recording of any performance, or the possession of any device for such photographing or sound recording inside the theater, without written permission of the management, is prohibited by law. Offenders may be ejected and liable for damages and other lawful remedies.
Lights inside the auditorium are also prohibited. Ticket holders using pen flashlights will be asked to discontinue the practice.
Return to Top Can I buy souvenirs?
The reconceived and renovated Met Opera Shop, located in the north lobby adjacent to the box office, is now open. The store offers a wide selection of CDs, DVDs, books, and a lineup of special items inspired by and tied to Met productions and the company's history. We look forward to welcoming you back to an exciting new retail destination for the best in music, design, and the opera lifestyle. The online shop will reopen in 2009.
The store is open Monday through Saturday from 10 A.M. to 10 P.M. (or the end of second intermission) and Sundays from noon to 6 P.M. Met Opera Shop can be reached at 212-580-4090.
Return to Top Where are the telephones and restrooms?
Public telephones are available on all levels except the Parterre. Lounges and rest rooms are available on all seating levels. Additional ladies’ rest rooms are available on the Family Circle and Founders Hall levels.
Return to Top What are the security procedures at the Met?
We have taken many steps to ensure a safe environment for our valued patrons and employees. These procedures have been put in place after consultation with law enforcement agencies as well as security professionals. These initiatives are not necessarily visible to patrons.
Please do not bring bags, parcels or luggage to the Metropolitan Opera House.
Due to increased security measures, the Opera House will open forty-five minutes prior to scheduled curtain times for operas, and thirty minutes prior to scheduled curtain times for ballets.
Return to Top What if there is an emergency?
A doctor is in attendance during all performances. In the case of a medical emergency, please notify an usher immediately.
The exits indicated by a red light and the sign nearest the seat you occupy are the shortest routes to the street. In the event of an emergency, please walk — do not run — to the nearest exit.
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What if I have more questions?
Call us at 212-362-6000 or contact us online.
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• When you choose this as your delivery method, you will receive two emails.
• The first email is the confirmation email that contains the order details.
• The second email has an attached PDF file which will contain the tickets. We recommend that you save this attachment to your computer.
• In order to open this attachment, Adobe Acrobat Reader 7.0 or higher is needed. Adobe can be downloaded for free at http://www.adobe.com/reader
Important: Mac users please read!
Your ticket should look like the image below. Please enlarge for details.
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What are the benefits of using Print Your Own Ticket?
• No more worrying about misplaced tickets.
• Avoid waiting in lines or for the mail.
• They can be printed at the convenience of the customer.
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Do I need any special hardware or software to use Print Your Own Ticket?
• Any inkjet or laser printer set to the highest resolution will suffice.
• Tickets should be printed in full size on 8.5” x 11” plain white paper.
• Tickets can be printed in color or black ink.
• Adobe Acrobat Reader 7.0 or higher. Adobe can be downloaded for free at http://www.adobe.com/reader.
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How do I print my tickets on my computer?
• Tickets are e-mailed as an attached PDF file.
• Save attachment onto your computer.
• You can print them now or later.
• Each ticket will print on a separate page.
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When will I receive my tickets via email?
You will receive a separate, second email with a PDF attachment containing your ticket(s). Please add Tickets@metopera.org and PrintTickets@metopera.org as a safe sender in your address book. If you do not receive this email within 24 hours, please contact Customer Care at 212-362-6000 or e-mail us at PrintTickets@metopera.org.
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