Carnegie Hall

Carnegie Hall is one of the world’s most famous concert halls and its stages have been graced by many of history’s greatest artists and public figures. Carnegie Hall opened in 1891 and is known for its excellent acoustics and extravagant architecture.

Location and Contact Information

Carnegie Hall is located at the corner of 57th Street and 7th Avenue.

To purchase tickets and for concert information, call 212-247-7800

For entrances to Carnegie Hall’s three performance spaces:

Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage — Take the elevators or stairs from the main lobby

Weill Recital Hall — Enter at at 154 West 57th Street

Zankel Hall — Enter on Seventh Avenue between 56th Street and 57th Street

Directions to Carnegie Hall

How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Practice, practice. If that doesn’t work, public transportation will get you there faster.

By Subway –
A, B, C, D, or 1 to Columbus Circle
N, Q, R, or W to 57 St./Seventh Avenue
E to Seventh Avenue

By Bus –
The M5, M6, M7, M30, M57, and M104 all stop nearby

Important Carnegie Hall Links

Carnegie Hall Box Office

Carnegie Hall Concert Listings

Carnegie Hall Seating Charts

The History of Carnegie Hall

The construction of Carnegie Hall was financed by Andrew Carnegie, one of the richest men of the time, and began in 1890. In fact, you can still see the words “Music Hall founded by Andrew Carnegie” on the façade of the building above the marquee.

The building’s chief architect was William Burnet Tuthill, who chose an Italian Renaissance style. Inside, the elegant foyer is a vision of marble and intricately-carved columns.

The official Carnegie Hall Opening Night was on May 5. 1891. Hundreds of New Yorkers jammed the concert hall to see the great composer Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Carnegie Halll was owned by the Carnegie family until 1925, when Carnegie's widow sold it to a real estate developer Robert E. Simon.

In the mid-1950s, Simon’s son offered Carnegie Hall for sale to the New York Philharmonic, but the orchestra was already planning a move to Lincoln Center and declined. Simon's other attempts to sell the building also fell through. By 1960, Carnegie Hall was slated for demoliton to make way for a skyscraper.

Luckily, protests from a group led by violinist Isaac Stern prompted special legislation that allowed the City of New York to buy the site for $5 million. Later that same year, the nonprofit Carnegie Hall Corporation was created to run the venue and the site was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1964.

In the years since, Carnegie Hall has continued to evolve as a cultural institution. Each season brings dozens of concerts and events featuring the world’s greatest musicians and performers.