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Summer in St. Louis – The Muny Theater

by Karen Goodman on March 26, 2009

The St. Louis theater scene offers many choices for live entertainment all year long, but summertime in St. Louis offers a special treat – The Muny Theater.

Located in the 1,293 acres of Forest Park, The Muny Theater is the oldest and largest outdoor theater in the United States. Built in 1917 in 49 days, the theater has 11,000 seats and holds 7 one week shows each summer.

Last weekend, I had a chance to snap some pictures of the empty theater.

The Muny Theater

Standing in the free seats in The Muny Theater, you still have a great view of the entire stage.

The Muny Theater empty seats

The Muny Theater is surrounded by the trees of Forest Park.

See more pictures of The Muny and Forest Park

I’ve spent many warm summer nights sitting in the green seats of The Muny. When I first got out of college and was on a very tight budget, I would stand in line for one of the 1500 free seats available in the last 9 rows of the theater.

At some point I realized that for just a few dollars, I could get a reserved seat in front of the free seats and avoid getting to the theater 2 hours early.

The Muny Theater pavilion Over the years, I’ve seen many great shows at The Muny. I’ve braved 90+ degree weather and a couple of downpours. Don’t worry, there is plenty of covered space where you can wait out a rainstorm. If the rain lets up in time, the ushers will scamper through the 11,000 seats, quickly drying them off with towels so the performance can continue.

With shows starting at 8:15 PM, consider bringing a picnic dinner with you and enjoying the beautiful gardens around the theater. You can also bring food and non-alcoholic beverages into the theater.

The Muny Theater 2009 Schedule:

This year, they have a great line up of shows scheduled. The Muny is a family friendly theater, so consider introducing your children to the theater this summer. Every year, the schedule includes at least one family oriented show. With Annie on the agenda, I’m guessing that good seats will sell out quickly.