Thomas Lamb, who would design the Ohio Theatre right after completing the Palace, used France’s Palais de Versailles as his inspiration for the Palace Theatre. The construction of the 2,827-seat theatre was personally supervised by vaudeville mogul Edward Albee, and in 1926, the Palace Theatre first opened its doors to the public as part of the Keith-Albee chain. Since the theatre was primarily a vaudeville house, and the performers had to be heard without amplification, great attention was paid to the hall’s acoustics. In 1929, the Palace became the RKO (Radio Keith Orpheum), which it remained until the 1970s.

During the '30s, '40s, and '50s, the Palace Theatre was the most active live show theatre in Columbus. Over the years, most of the top names in the entertainment business have appeared at the Palace Theatre, including Bing Crosby, Nat "King" Cole, Louis Armstrong, Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington, Jackie Gleason, Jack Benny, Mae West, Tommy & Jimmy Dorsey, Burns and Allen, Eddie Cantor, Bill Robinson, Glenn Miller, Gypsy Rose Lee, and Harpo and Chico Marx.

Directions & Parking

THE PALACE THEATRE located at 34 West Broad Street, Columbus, OH 43215

DIRECTIONS
If traveling from the North, take I-71 South to Broad Street and turn right. Follow Broad Street - the theatre is on the right.

If traveling from the South, take I-71 North to Front Street and turn left. Follow Front Street to Broad Street and turn right. Follow Broad Street - the theatre is on the left.

If traveling from the West, take I-70 East to Front Street and turn left. Follow Front Street to Broad Street and turn right. Follow Broad Street - the theatre is on the left.

If traveling from the East, take I-70 West to 4th Street (which is one way) Follow 4th Street to Broad Street and turn left. Follow Broad Street - the theatre is on the right.
 

PARKING
Parking is available in the garage behind the building. Customers can enter from Front Street or Gay Street. On-street parking is also available.

Accessibility

Seating - Both the Ohio and Palace Theatres have seating positions for mobility impaired patrons, and accessible restrooms on the main lobby level. For more information about wheelchair seating, call the Broadway Series Box Office at 614.224.7654.

Assistive Listening System - Both the Palace and Ohio Theatres are equipped with a hearing amplification system for the hearing impaired. For more information about his system or to reserve a headset, please call the Ohio Theatre at 614.469.-0939, or the Palace Theatre at 614.469.1331.

Audio Description - This service is usually offered for the visually impaired on Saturday Matinee performances. Audio Description is a verbal description of the non-verbal action occuring on the stage. For more information call 614.224.7654.

Sign Interpreted - This service is usually offered for the hearing impaired for Sunday Matinee performances. Sign Interpretation provides a translation of dialogue and musical numbers through American Sign Language. There is no charge for this service. For more information, call 614.224.7654.

Thomas Lamb, who would design the Ohio Theatre right after completing the Palace, used France’s Palais de Versailles as his inspiration for the Palace Theatre. The construction of the 2,827-seat theatre was personally supervised by vaudeville mogul Edward Albee, and in 1926, the Palace Theatre first opened its doors to the public as part of the Keith-Albee chain. Since the theatre was primarily a vaudeville house, and the performers had to be heard without amplification, great attention was paid to the hall’s acoustics. In 1929, the Palace became the RKO (Radio Keith Orpheum), which it remained until the 1970s.

During the '30s, '40s, and '50s, the Palace Theatre was the most active live show theatre in Columbus. Over the years, most of the top names in the entertainment business have appeared at the Palace Theatre, including Bing Crosby, Nat "King" Cole, Louis Armstrong, Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington, Jackie Gleason, Jack Benny, Mae West, Tommy & Jimmy Dorsey, Burns and Allen, Eddie Cantor, Bill Robinson, Glenn Miller, Gypsy Rose Lee, and Harpo and Chico Marx.