<div id="c3be0912bb716eee4ca644c1dfc4ecde4"></div>From Broadway to cabaret to opera and more, the Straz Center for the Performing Arts offers a show for everyone. Grab your best outfit, bring your plus one, and enjoy a night out with the arts! Here’s your guide to the perfect night at the Straz.
Straz Center in Tampa
Tips for Attending a Show at the Straz
- Load your tickets on your phone, or bring your printed tickets.
- Bring a sweater or jacket.
- Park early, and take your time.
- Eat at the Straz and stroll the Riverwalk before the show.
- If you dine at Maestro’s On The River, budget $8 – $12 per item.
- If you dine at Maestro’s Restaurant, make a reservation and budget $60 per person.
- Arrive 45 minutes to 1 hour before showtime to settle in.
Parking Options for the Straz Center for the Performing Arts
You have plenty of parking options, with parking lots, garages, hourly metered street parking, and valet. Garage parking opens 2 hours before events. Search and reserve parking for your show here.
For free on-street parking, check Doyle Carlton Dr. These spaces are free for 4 hours. On Sundays from 8am – 2pm, check for spaces north of Kennedy Blvd.
On the night of the show, the Straz Center will be valet-only, so it’s best to navigate to your parking location in GPS instead of the Straz Center address.
Take the Pirate Water Taxi
For a little adventure, you can have dinner along the Tampa Riverwalk and then take the Pirate Water Taxi to Stop 14, which will drop you off in front of the Straz. Keep in mind that some water taxi stops require a reservation. Confirm pickup times and rates on the website or call (813) 223-7999.
Dining Options at the Straz Center
The Straz Center offers many places to eat onsite, so you can get there early, take your time, and enjoy the food and the view.
- Maestro's Restaurant
- Sit-down restaurant
- Reservations required
- Opens at 4pm, 5pm, and 12pm for Matinee events
- Located above the Jaeb Theater
- Serves antipasto, soup, a main entrée, and dessert
- Maestro's Café
- Grab-and-go options
- Opens 2 hours before performances
- Located in the Ruth Silbiger Lobby of Carol Morsani Hall
- Maestro's On the River
- Offers handheld bites, including charcuterie, paninis, wraps, burgers, sandwiches, and sweets, as well as wine and cocktails
- Opens 90 minutes before performances
- Located outside of Morsani Hall
- Beautiful view overlooking the Hillsborough River
- The restaurant may close due to weather, so call to confirm that it’s open: (813) 229-7827
- SteamHeat Coffee Shop
- Serves Tampa-based Buddy Brew Coffee, smoothies, paninis, and other handhelds
- Located on the south side of the center, before the ticket office
- Open Tuesday – Saturday, 8am – 8pm, and during performances
Check the website or call ahead, as dining hours may change daily.
Inside the Theaters
With six stages and a Rehearsal Hall, the Straz Center accommodates multiple performances, including Broadway plays, concerts, opera, and more. For a closer view of the performers and stage, go for orchestra seats. For a wider view of the stage production, aim for mezzanine or balcony seats.
The three largest and main venues include:
- Carol Morsani Hall
- Broadway productions, ballets, operas, and concerts
- Seats up to 2,610
- Elevated seating
- Orchestra, mezzanine, balcony, and gallery levels
- Horseshoe-shaped opera house
- Ferguson Hall
- Intimate yet spacious theater for concerts and plays
- Seats up to 1,042
- Elevated seating
- Orchestra, mezzanine, and balcony levels
- Jaeb Theater
- Showcases plays, cabaret shows, and television productions
- Seats up to 312
- Stadium or cabaret seating
- Seating at tables is first-come, first-served
- This theater does not have an elevator, and orchestra-level seats are recommended for accessibility.
You’ll find smaller shows and rehearsals at these venues at the Straz:
- Shimberg Playhouse
- Seats up to 130
- “Black-box” theater that changes with each show
- General admission
- Teco Theater
- Elevated seating
- Flexible, portable stage
- Rehearsal Hall
- General admission rehearsal space
- Riverwalk Stage
- Outdoor stage on the Riverwalk
Preview the Seats
The theaters are large enough to boast exciting performances yet quaint enough to feel cozy, and the elevated seating makes any seat a great option. Check out the Straz Center website for seating diagrams. Then, check the website A View From My Seat for attendee-submitted photos to visualize seat locations.
Restaurants and Things to Do Near the Straz
Explore Downtown Tampa before and after the show with local eateries and beautiful scenery.
Heights Public Market
1910 N Ola Ave, Tampa, FL 33602
Inside the historic building that once served as Tampa Electric’s streetcar warehouse, you’ll find 20+ restaurant vendors with everything from rice bowls to barbecue comfort food, locally brewed coffee to all-natural ice cream, superfood smoothies, and more.
Bavaro’s Pizza Napoletana & Pastaria
514 N Franklin St, STE 101, Tampa, FL 33602
Known as Florida’s first traditional Neapolitan pizzeria, this family-owned restaurant serves pizza from wood-fired brick ovens, antipasti, pasta, and classic Italian desserts, including cannoli, tiramisu, and even Nutella pizza.
Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park
1001 North Boulevard, Tampa, FL 33607
This 25-acre park across from the Straz features spacious walkways, game tables, a dog park, murals, sculptures, paintings, and other art.
Enjoy Your Next Date Night at the Straz
Check out upcoming shows, pick the performance you can’t miss, and plan your next swanky date night at the Straz! Your Downtown Tampa adventure awaits.
Straz Center for the Performing Arts
1010 N Macinnes Pl,
Tampa, FL 33602
Purchasing Tickets
- Online
- You can purchase tickets from the Straz Center website, and you’ll receive electronic tickets.
- Access your tickets in the Straz To Go app or log into your Straz Center Wallet in a web browser.
- In-Person
- Prefer printed tickets as a keepsake? Head to the Ticket Sales Office to purchase tickets, and you’ll receive printed tickets.
- Address: 1010 N Macinnes Pl, Tampa, FL 33602. There’s free short-term parking at the Arrival Plaza on Tyler Street.
- Discounted tickets
- First responders, military personnel, educators, students, seniors, and healthcare heroes can purchase last-minute discounted tickets in person on the day of the performance.
- Visit the Ticket Sales Office for tickets, and check the Promotions page on the Straz website for more information.