Delacorte Theater

A New Act for Central Park: The Delacorte Theater Returns

Central Park’s beloved Delacorte Theater has reopened its gates, celebrating the completion of a transformative and long-awaited renovation. After an 18-month closure, the iconic home of Shakespeare in the Park welcomed a star-studded crowd for a ribbon-cutting ceremony on July 15, 2025, marking the start of a new chapter for one of New York City’s most treasured cultural institutions.

The Delacorte’s $85 million overhaul is its first major renovation since it was built in 1962. The project was driven by a mission to improve accessibility, sustainability, and the overall experience for everyone who walks through its doors.

The improvements are extensive and impressive, touching every part of the venue. For audiences, the difference is immediate and impactful. The theater now boasts two new accessible gates, and the number of ADA-compliant seats has more than doubled, featuring wider chairs and bariatric options. The public restrooms, a long-awaited point of improvement, have been completely renovated with more stalls to help ease intermission lines.

Backstage, the changes are just as significant. The formerly dated dressing rooms are now equipped with climate control, air conditioning, and clean, gender-neutral bathrooms. Expanded hallways and new ramps, lifts, and an elevator to the control booth ensure that artists and crew with disabilities can navigate the space easily. Safety and technology have also been modernized with a new sprinkler system, upgraded lighting and sound technology, and a permanent lighting truss to streamline productions.

Sustainability was a key consideration in the redesign. The new exterior façade is made from reclaimed redwood sourced from decommissioned NYC water towers, an elegant and functional choice that helps minimize heat retention. A new cantilevered canopy extends up to 18 feet to provide additional shade and shelter for patrons.

The reopening ceremony itself was a moving tribute to the Delacorte’s legacy of “free, accessible theater for all New Yorkers”. The event was led by Oskar Eustis, Artistic Director of The Public Theater, and featured a star-studded lineup of actors, including Peter Dinklage, Sandra Oh, and Jesse Tyler Ferguson, who performed monologues. City officials, including NYC Comptroller Brad Lander and Deputy Mayor Adolfo Carrion Jr., spoke passionately about the importance of public art. Lander even opened his speech with a humorous, Shakespeare-inspired nod to the project, quoting, “To renovate or not to renovate, that was the question… to take arms against a sea of raccoons, and by construction, thwart them”.

The reopening is more than just a fresh coat of paint; it’s a powerful reaffirmation of the Delacorte’s role as a cultural cornerstone. With Shakespeare in the Park officially returning on August 7 with a star-studded production of Twelfth Night, New Yorkers can once again experience the magic of theater under the open sky. The Delacorte is back, better than ever, and ready to welcome audiences for years to come.