McCaw Hall Accessibility
Accessible Ticketing
McCaw Hall is equipped with a total of 21 wheelchair-accessible spaces located at the rear of each level of the auditorium. All wheelchair-accessible spaces have at least one adjacent companion seat, with many offering three or more.
Accessible seating is available in a full range of price zones for both individual performances as well as subscription ticket packages. They are available for purchase online, via telephone, or in person at our box office.
Seats marked with a provide additional space allowing the accommodation of wheelchairs, walkers, service animals, or other mobility devices.
Patrons who prefer sit in a different area and have their wheelchair, walker, or other mobility device stowed during the performance need only speak with an usher upon entering the auditorium. The ushers can stow the devices and return them during intermissions and after the performance. Patrons will be notified of where their devices are stowed.
Buying in Person
Our permanent box office is housed next to the main entrance of Phelps Center at 301 Mercer St. and is accessible via ramp.
There is a wheelchair-accessible box office window just inside the Phelps Center’s main entrance, to the left.
Buying Online
Seats marked with a are open spaces which can accommodate a wheelchair (or other mobility device) or be filled with a loose chair. Loose chairs can be either armed or armless upon request.
Seats marked with a and labeled as Wheelchair Companion are bolted chairs adjacent to the wheelchair-accessible space that are intended for additional guests.
Orchestra seats marked with a and labeled as Transfer Seat provide aisle-side movable armrests to allow ease of entry, or transfer from another mobility device.
On a desktop computer, hovering your mouse over any seat will provide details as to which sort of accommodation the symbol notates. On a mobile device, clicking on the seat will reveal the same details.
Scooters
Non-motorized scooters are allowed and subject to the same protocols as wheelchairs and other mobility devices.
Motorized scooters are allowed in all lobby spaces, but not in the seating areas of the auditorium. Ushers will stow motorized scooters in the lobby on the level the patron enters the auditorium for retrieval after the performance. If patrons who use motorized scooters need assistance moving from the lobby to their seat, they may use one of the McCaw Hall wheelchairs.
McCaw Hall Wheelchairs
McCaw Hall has a number of wheelchairs available free of charge on a first-come, first-served basis to assist patrons in moving around the venue. They can be accessed by speaking with any usher, who can also be available to help maneuver the chair as needed.
Staff Assistance
Please note ushers/other Pacific Northwest Ballet or McCaw Hall staff cannot assist patrons in any weight-bearing capacity (helping out of seats or cars, etc.).
Elevators
Each level is accessible via elevator.
Elevators are located on both sides of the building (north and south) except on level 3 (Dress Circle level), which is only accessible from the south elevator (closer to the gift shop and Prelude Restaurant).
Accessible Parking, Drop-Offs, and Pick-Ups
The closest accessible parking is across the street in the Mercer Street Garage; there are 48 ADA stalls between levels B and C. Vehicle clearance for all levels of the Mercer Garage is 7’7″.
A wheelchair-accessible sky bridge connects level C to level 2 of McCaw Hall (Grand Lobby/Orchestra level).
Vehicles must have the appropriate permits to park in the ADA stalls.
There is an elevator connecting each level for access to the sky bridge.
Patrons who are dropped off in front of McCaw Hall can either use the ramp in front of the Phelps Center to reach the building or select “Kreielsheimer Promenade” in the elevator located just inside the door to the Nesholm Family Lecture Hall (under the sky bridge).
Ushers staffing coat check or the Assisted Listening Device/binocular podium will be available to call cabs for patrons as requested after the show.
McCaw Hall will remain open after a performance ends for at least one hour. Patrons are welcome to wait inside the Kreielsheimer Promenade during this period.
Restrooms
McCaw Hall provides restrooms on every level except for the Dress Circle, and all are accessible. Accessible All-Gender, single-occupancy restrooms are also available on the south end of each lobby level.
Service Animals
Registered service animals are permitted inside McCaw Hall and must remain on a leash or harness at all times.
Service animals are not permitted to sit in any aisle (between rows or between sections) due to emergency safety considerations, but can sit on someone’s lap or under a seat.
For bigger animals, patrons are welcome to use our accessible seating where there will be plenty of room.
Assisted Listening Devices
Infrared assisted listening devices are available at no charge. They are available at the podium near coat check, located on the north end of the building beyond the ticket control area. In exchange for a listening device, patrons are required to leave a piece of photo identification which can be reclaimed upon return of the device.
Audio Dance Described Performances
Pacific Northwest Ballet offers select audio-described performances for visually impaired and blind patrons at $20 per ticket. The Sennheiser Listening System works throughout the hall. To access the Audio Dance Description pricing, use promo code AUDIO or click the button below.
The Audio Dance Description program is generously underwritten by the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust and Jolene McCaw Family Foundation. We thank Darkroom Ballet, Seattle Cultural Accessibility Consortium (SCAC), and PNB’s I.D.E.A. Committee for their support of this program.
All Balanchine
November 2, 2024
Matinee Performance at 2:00 PM followed by a screening of Telephone in the Nesholm Family Lecture Hall.
November 13, 2024
4:00-6:00 PM
Digital Screening and Q&A of Telephone with Krishna Washburn and Heather Shaw
George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker
December 1, 2024
Matinee Performance at 2:00 PM
December 7, 2024
Evening Performance at 7:30 PM
December 19, 2024
Matinee Performance at 2:00 PM (Sensory Friendly)
The Sleeping Beauty
February 2, 2025
Matinee Performance at 1:00 PM
Roméo et Juliette
April 12, 2025
Matinee Performance at 1:00 PM
Binoculars
Binoculars are available for a $5 rental fee at the podium near coat check.
Sensory Sensitivity
Click here to read or download our Social Narrative Overview, which includes photos and explanations about the things you’ll encounter at McCaw Hall.
Sensory accessible bags – which include headphones, fidgets, and a card to assist in nonverbal communication of needs – are available for check out in the Spafford Lobby on the Kreilesheimer Promenade.
Please reach out to access@PNB.org for questions about specific productions. We’re happy to provide any pertinent details about lighting, sounds, etc.
Need to Take a Break?
Visit the quiet room on the First Tier accessible via aisles M and L. These are secluded rooms with a window facing the stage and music piped in through speakers with an adjustable volume knob. They are equipped with tall, movable chairs. Ushers are available to help patrons locate these rooms as needed during a performance.
Monitors are located in the lobby at every level broadcasting the performance live.
Patrons who exit the auditorium during the show will be escorted back in at the discretion of the ushers, often during applause breaks or intermissions.
Phelps Center Events
Phelps Center studios and board room can be accessed via wheelchair or other mobility devices using the ramp at the front entrance and a lift that is located just inside the doors. The receptionist will be available to assist patrons in using the lift.
Additional Accommodations and Questions
If you would like to request any accommodations not listed here, please reach out to the box office at access@PNB.org or (206) 441-2424.