The Aronoff Center for the Arts is better known to Cincinnatians as simply The Aronoff – a nod to Senator Stanley Aronoff, whose vision for a performing arts center in his hometown came to fruition in 1995. Designed by internationally renowned architect Cesar Pelli, the dramatic glass, stainless steel, and brick facades are a vibrant modern counterpoint to the buildings that surround the Center. Fronting onto three streets in the heart of downtown (Walnut, Seventh, and Main), the Aronoff Center is just a block away from Fountain Square and many of the City’s finest restaurants and hotels.
The Aronoff Center is home to three versatile performance spaces. The 2,700-seat Procter & Gamble Hall hosts major events, while the 437-seat Jarson-Kaplan Theater is the ideal setting for local theater and dance presentations. The Fifth Third Bank Theater seats up to 150 and can be configured for more intimate events. With galleries on two levels, the acclaimed Weston Art Gallery showcases an eclectic mix of exhibits by emerging and professional artists, fostering appreciation of the visual arts throughout the Tri-State region.
Several arts organizations call the Aronoff Center home – the Cincinnati Ballet, Cincinnati Music Theatre, Cincinnati Playwrights Initiative, Contemporary Dance Theater, de la Dance Company, Exhale Dance Tribe, and MamLuft & Co. Dance. The Aronoff is also a resident home for the Cincinnati Boychoir and it’s headquarters. But the Center is perhaps best known for the touring Broadway shows that enchant audiences nationwide. From The Lion King and The Phantom of the Opera, to Wicked and Les Miserables, Cincinnatians enjoy the most recent and very best of Broadway at the Center, through our partnership with the Fifth Third Bank Broadway in Cincinnati.
Led by a friendly and knowledgeable volunteer guide, group tours are available to visit the 2700-seat Procter & Gamble Hall, the intimate 430-seat Jarson-Kaplan Theater, the flexible Fifth Third Bank Theater, and the always-intriguing Weston Art Gallery. Your guide will focus on the history, design, and use of the Aronoff Center and its spaces, and answer any questions you may have. Backstage access is not allowed, and food and drink are not permitted in the theaters.
