Arden FAQs

Our Box Office and Lobby are regularly open during the following hours:*

Monday through Friday: 10am to 6pm
Saturday & Sunday: 12pm to 6pm

* Hours may vary depending on the performance calendar, but the above will be true throughout our season from September to June.

Our summer hours are Monday through Friday, 10am to 6pm.

You can purchase tickets by calling or visiting our Box Office for assistance, or by doing so yourself on our website by visiting a specific show’s page and selecting a time you’d like to attend.

PLEASE NOTE: We only authorize third-party ticket selling with Goldstar and TodayTix. If you find listings for Arden tickets on any other sites, or for any prices greater than the ones you find on our website, please do not purchase from those services.

Our Box Office is regularly receiving calls throughout the day and may currently be overwhelmed with multiple callers at once, or may be busy greeting patrons for a performance that is about to begin. Please leave a voicemail including your name, phone number, and reason for your call and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can!

Please also check the home page of our website for possible information regarding closures or outages impacting our business.

Yes. Single ticket purchases will incur a $5.00 handling fee per order in person or over the phone with our Box Office staff, or $5.00 per ticket if purchased online. Subscription purchases incur a $5.00 handling fee per order, regardless of how it is purchased.

All sales are final, meaning no refunds will be issued. If you do not wish to exchange your tickets, you can donate the value of your tickets to the Arden and receive an acknowledgment letter for tax purposes.

Single-ticket holders can exchange to a different performance at a cost of $5.00 per ticket.

Subscribers enjoy free exchanges* to another performance as a benefit of their subscription.

Please contact the Box Office for all ticket usage or exchange-related questions at 215.922.1122 or boxofficer@ardentheatre.org

* Exchanges made after or within 24 hours of your performance will incur a $5.00 Late Exchange Fee for the order. Additional charges may apply if exchanging into a more popular performance time.

Absolutely – we’d love to see seats still be filled! If you have tickets in your possession (either by Mail or Email), you can pass along those tickets. If your tickets are being held at Will Call, please let your friend know to check in with the name that is on your order.

No worries! Check in with our Box Office when you arrive for your performance and we can always reprint your tickets for you.

Yes; there are no more seats available for that performance. If you are still interested in attending on that particular date, please contact our Box Office and inquire about being added to a waitlist. Exchanges and cancellations are common, and we will let you know should anything open up.

Our box office staff will be in touch with all patrons of a cancelled performance to discuss options. Exchanges related to cancellations will not incur any charges.

Yes! Please view the Discounts page on our website for more information.

Yes! We offer a Group Price for orders of 10 or more tickets. Please view the Group Tickets page on our website for information on group rates and terms.

Generally, our Mainstage Productions are best suited for ages 13 and up, but parents are always welcome to use their best discretion. Please view information about the show you hope to attend on our website, or ask our box office for more information about the content of the show. We also have designated Teen Nights and Young Friends Nights for younger audiences to get engaged in the arts and hear from some of the artists who made the show possible.

Our Children’s Theatre is best enjoyed by anybody ages 6 and up, but parents are welcome to bring younger children if they feel they’re ready.

Children must have their own ticketed seat for ages 2 and up. Children under the age of 2 may enter without a ticket and sit on the lap of a parent/guardian.

All children under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult or guardian over the age of 18 in the theater. Children will not be permitted entry without an adult.

The Arden is located at 40 N 2nd Street in the Old City neighborhood of Philadelphia. Directions to our theater can be found on the Getting Here page on our website.

Our Box Office will be ready to welcome you at any time throughout the day. Will Call tickets will be available 1 hour before showtime. Doors to the theater will open about 30 minutes before showtime.

Welcome! New places can be intimidating. We are developing sensory guidance tools to make the most comfortable experience possible for all patrons. Please visit the Sensory Guide section of our Accessibility page for tools and information.

Absolutely. House Management will work with the Stage Manager to get you in and seated as quickly and safely as possible. Our performances occasionally involve usage of the aisles; for your and our actors’ safety, there are often only specific times we are able to late seat. If space is available and you are able to climb stairs, we may be able to sneak you in to a seat in the back in order to get you in faster.

There is a monitor in the lobby for you to view the show while you wait to be sat, and you can always ask the House Manager what you’ve missed so far.

Be comfortable and be you; there is no specific dress code to attend an Arden performance. All we ask is for you to cover the essentials and wear shoes. We also recommend bringing an additional layer in the event the theater feels colder during the performance.

Information concerning any measures we are taking will be updated on the Health and Safety Plan page on our website. Other measures to mitigate contact or infection are regularly taking place, including improved air filtration systems in all spaces and regular cleaning and disinfecting of surfaces. Contactless options such as digital tickets and stagebills are available as well.

There are many lots and garages in the Old City area, some of which provide special rates for our subscribers. Information on all nearby parking options can be found on the Parking page on our website.

The Arden does not own or operate our own parking lot.

We have a number of Dining Partners around Old City, some of whom will provide discounts to patrons who show an Arden ticket or program to their server. For information on our partners and available offers, visit the Dining page on our website.

Yes! Concessions will be available for sale at least 30-45 minutes before the start of your performance (and during intermission, if there is one).

View our Mainstage Concessions Menu here.

View our Children’s Theatre Concessions Menu here.

We ask that all snack items be eaten in the lobby to avoid any mess in the seats or crinkly wrappers during your performance. Beverages are permitted to enter provided they have a cap or lid to lessen the risk of spills.

Any beverage served at concessions that cannot be served sealed (soda, beer, wine, cocktails) will be served in a souvenir Arden cup. Bring this cup back for a refill at intermission, or bring it with you to your next show, and receive $3.00 off the listed price.

The Arden is for everyone and continuing to expand its accessibility offerings regularly. All theater spaces are accessible for patrons with limited mobility, including ramps, an elevator, and removable ground-level, front row seating. We also have Assistive Listening Devices (ALDs) available to borrow from the Box Office for every performance. Additional programming, including Audio Description, Open Captioning, and ASL Interpretation, are available at select performances. Please view the show’s page for more information on when those performances take place.

When purchasing tickets, please leave a note in your order or mention to our Box Office any accessibility needs you may have.

For further information on our Accessibility services, please visit the Accessibility page on our website.

No; we do not have a coat check station.

No; we do not have an ATM on our premises. Nearby businesses may have available ATMs, including:

• Olde City Food Market on 2nd & Market;
• Chase Bank on 2nd & Chestnut;
• CVS on 3rd & Market;
• Citizens Bank on 3rd & Market;
• PNC Bank on 4th & Market;
• TD Bank on 4th & Market;
• Wells Fargo on 4th & Market

Yes, we have a guest WiFi network that patrons can use while in our lobby. Information is available on our Box Office windows when you arrive.

Yes; any found items will be stored in our Box Office. Please contact our Box Office at 215.922.1122 if you believe you left something in our theater.

The Arden is not liable for any lost or stolen items.

Runtimes for our productions will always be available on our website on each show’s individual page, on the righthand side. Signage will also be posted on the box office windows and select TV monitors in the lobby.

You can also ask an Arden staff member or Volunteer for information!

Information on intermissions is included in any runtime listings. Our intermissions are usually about 15 minutes.

Of course. Restrooms are located on both floors. Men’s and Women’s restrooms are available on the first floor. An All-Genders / Family-style* restroom is available on the second floor.

House Management will work with the Stage Manager to get you back in to your seat as quickly and safely as possible to enjoy the rest of your performance.

* This restroom also includes a changing table!

We understand. Please find the nearest exit to your seat and make your way back to the lobby. Let House Management know if there’s anything you need. There will always be a monitor available in the lobby for you to continue watching the performance if you would like. We can also turn the volume down on the monitor if it is still too overwhelming.

Whenever you are ready, House Management will work with the Stage Manager to get you back in to your seat as quickly and safely as possible to enjoy the rest of your performance.

No. Smoking and vaping in our spaces is strictly prohibited.

No. Photography and video recording of any kind is strictly prohibited during the performance. Any patron caught filming or taking the photos will be asked to delete any material and may be asked to leave the theater.

We strongly encourage you completely turning off your cellphone to avoid possible interference with the sound system in the theater, as well as mitigating any risk of noises interrupting your viewing experience.