There are 41 active Broadway theaters listed by The Broadway League in New York City, as well as eight existing structures that previously hosted Broadway theatre.^{[lower-alpha 1]} Beginning with the first large long-term theater in the city, the Park Theatre built in 1798 on Park Row just off Broadway, the definition of what constitutes a Broadway theater has changed multiple times.^[1] The current legal definition is based on a 1949 Actors' Equity agreement with smaller theaters in New York to allow union members to perform, dividing theater spaces in the city into the system of Broadway and Off-Broadway seen today.^[2][3] Current union contracts clearly spell out if a production is "Broadway" or not,^[2] but the general rule is that any venue that mostly hosts legitimate theater productions, is generally within Manhattan's Theater District, and has a capacity over 500 seats is considered a Broadway theater.^[4] Previous to this legal demarcation a Broadway production simply referred to a professional theatrical production performed in a theater in Manhattan, and the theaters that housed them were called Broadway theaters.^[2]

While Broadway theaters are colloquially considered to be "on Broadway", only two active Broadway theaters are physically on Broadway (the Broadway Theatre and Winter Garden Theatre).^{[5][lower-alpha 2]} The Vivian Beaumont Theater, located in Lincoln Center, is the furthest north and west of the active theaters, while the Nederlander Theatre is the southernmost and the Belasco Theatre is the easternmost space. The oldest Broadway theaters still in use are the Hudson Theatre, Lyceum Theatre, and New Amsterdam Theatre, all opened in 1903, while the most recently constructed theater is the Lyric Theatre, built in 1998. The largest of the Broadway theaters is the 1,933-seat Gershwin Theatre, while the smallest is the 597-seat Hayes Theater.

The beginning of Broadway theater can be traced to the 19th-century influx of immigrants to New York City, particularly Yiddish, German and Italian, who brought with them indigenous and new forms of theater. The development of indoor gas lighting around this same time period allowed for the construction of permanent spaces for these novel theatrical forms. Early variety, burlesque, and minstrelsy halls were built along Broadway below Houston Street. As the city expanded north, new theaters were constructed along the thoroughfare with family-friendly vaudeville, developed by Tony Pastor, clustering around Union Square in the 1860s and 1870s, and larger opera houses, hippodromes, and theaters populating Broadway between Union Square and Times Square later in the century. Times Square became the epicenter for large scale theater productions between 1900 and the Great Depression.^[1]

There is no standard date that is considered the beginning of Broadway-style theatre.^[8] A few landmarks that are considered the beginning of the Broadway era include the 1866 opening of The Black Crook at Niblo's Garden, considered the first piece of American style musical theater,^[9][10] the 1913 founding of the Actors' Equity Association, the union for New York Theater performers, and the 1919 Actors' Equity Association strike which gave actors and performers the recognition of a "fully legitimate professional trade".^[8] Mary Henderson in her book The City and the Theatre breaks down theater on the street Broadway into three time periods. "Lower Broadway" from 1850 to 1870, "Union Square and Beyond" from 1870 to 1899, and "Times Square: the First Hundred Years" (1900–2000).^[8] The current official Broadway/Off-Broadway division began with the 1949 Actors' Equity agreement.^[2][3]

The current definition of a Broadway theater is based on the 1949 Actors' Equity agreement dividing Broadway from Off-Broadway,^[2][3] but in the general psyche Broadway theaters are considered theatrical houses which host productions that can be nominated for Tony Awards.^[11] The American Theater Wing and The Broadway League, as presenters of these awards, have sole discretion to include or omit theaters from the list of Tony-eligible houses, but use the same standards and criteria as Actors' Equity does.^[4] The four main underlying criteria these organizations use to determine a Broadway theater are:

• Has a capacity of over 500 seats.
• Produces mostly legitimate theater productions.
• Is generally within Manhattan's Theater District (the Vivian Beaumont Theater is an exception)
• Is under an Actors' Equity "Production" contract if the theater is for-profit, or follows an Actors' Equity "LORT A" contract if the theater is run by a non-profit.^[4]

The following list contains the 41 theaters listed on the Internet Broadway Database, which is run by The Broadway League, that are considered active Broadway theaters and can host productions eligible for Tony Awards.

More information Theater former name(s), Address ...

Theater former name(s)	Address	Opened	Capacity[lower-alpha 3]	Owner/operator	Productions			Image	Ref.
					First	Longest run[12]	Current
Al Hirschfeld Theatre Martin Beck Theatre (1924–2003)	302 W. 45th St.	1924	1424	Jujamcyn Theaters	Madame Pompadour	Kinky Boots	Moulin Rouge!		[13]
Ambassador Theatre New Ambassador Theatre (1980) Ambassador Theatre (1921–1980)	219 W. 49th St.	1921	1125	Shubert Organization	The Rose Girl	Chicago	Chicago		[14]
August Wilson Theatre Virginia Theatre (1981–2005) American Academy of Dramatic Arts (1953–1981) ANTA Playhouse (1950–1953) WOR Mutual Radio (1943–1950) Guild Theatre (1925–1943)	245 W. 52nd St.	1925	1228	Jujamcyn Theaters	Caesar and Cleopatra	Jersey Boys	Cabaret		[15]
Belasco Theatre Stuyvesant Theatre (1907–1910)	111 W. 44th St.	1907	1018	Shubert Organization	A Grand Army Man	Dead End	Appropriate		[16]
Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre Royale Theatre (1940–2005) John Golden Theatre (1934–1940) Royale Theatre (1927–1934)	242 W. 45th St.	1927	1078	Shubert Organization	Piggy	Grease	The Outsiders		[17]
Booth Theatre	222 W. 45th St.	1913	766	Shubert Organization	The Great Adventure	Butterflies are Free	Kimberly Akimbo		[18]
Broadhurst Theatre	235 W. 44th St.	1917	1186	Shubert Organization	Misalliance	Amadeus	A Beautiful Noise		[19]
Broadway Theatre Cine Roma (1937–1939) B.S. Moss's Broadway Theatre (1935–1937) Broadway Theatre (1933–1935) Earl Carroll's Broadway Theatre (1932–1933) B.S. Moss's Broadway Theatre (1930–1932) Universal's Colony Theatre (1926–1930) B.S. Moss's Colony Theatre (1924–1926)	1681 Broadway	1924	1761	Shubert Organization	The New Yorkers	Miss Saigon	The Great Gatsby		[20]
Circle in the Square Theatre	235 W. 50th St.	1972	840	Independent	Mourning Becomes Electra	The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee	An Enemy of the People		[21]
Ethel Barrymore Theatre	243 W. 47th St.	1928	1096	Shubert Organization	The Kingdom of God	I Love My Wife	Patriots		[22]
Eugene O'Neill Theatre Coronet Theatre (1945–1959) Forrest Theatre (1925–1945)	230 W. 49th St.	1925	1066	Jujamcyn Theaters	Mayflowers	The Book of Mormon	The Book of Mormon		[23]
Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre Plymouth Theatre (1917–2005)	236 W. 45th St.	1917	1079	Shubert Organization	A Successful Calamity	Come from Away	The Notebook		[24]
Gershwin Theatre Uris Theatre (1972–1983)	222 W. 51st St.	1972	1933	Nederlander Organization	Via Galactica	Wicked	Wicked		[25]
Hayes Theater Helen Hayes Theatre (1983–2018) Little Theatre (1965–1983) Winthrop Ames Theatre (1964–1965) Little Theatre (1959–1964) New York Times Hall (1941–1959) Anne Nichols' Little Theatre (1936–1941) Little Theatre (1912–1936)	240 W. 44th St.	1912	597	Second Stage Theater	The Pigeon	Gemini	Mother Play		[26]
Hudson Theatre Savoy Nightclub (1981–1987) Hudson Theatre (1903–1981)	141 W. 44th St.	1903	975	Ambassador Theatre Group	Cousin Kate	State of the Union	Merrily We Roll Along		[27]
Imperial Theatre	249 W. 45th St.	1923	1443	Shubert Organization	Mary Jane McKane	Les Misérables	Water for Elephants		[28]
James Earl Jones Theatre Cort Theatre (1912–2022)	138 W. 48th St.	1912	1084	Shubert Organization	Peg O' My Heart	The Magic Show	The Heart of Rock and Roll		[29]
John Golden Theatre Theatre Masque (1927–1937)	252 W. 45th St.	1927	805	Shubert Organization	Puppets of Passion	Avenue Q	Stereophonic		[30]
Lena Horne Theatre Brooks Atkinson Theatre (1960–2022) Mansfield Theatre (1929–1960) Lew Fields' Mansfield Theatre (1928–1929) Mansfield Theatre (1926–1928)	256 W. 47th St.	1926	1094	Nederlander Organization	The Night Duel	Waitress	Six		[31]
Longacre Theatre	220 W. 48th St.	1913	1091	Shubert Organization	Are You a Crook?	Children of a Lesser God	Lempicka		[32]
Lunt-Fontanne Theatre Globe Theatre (1910–1957)	205 W. 46th St.	1910	1519	Nederlander Organization	The Old Town	Beauty and the Beast	Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street		[33]
Lyceum Theatre New Lyceum Theatre (1903)	149 W. 45th St.	1903	922	Shubert Organization	The Proud Prince	Born Yesterday	—		[34]
Lyric Theatre Foxwoods Theatre (2010–2014) Hilton Theatre (2005–2010) Ford Center for the Performing Arts (1998–2005)	214 W. 43rd St.	1998	1622	Ambassador Theatre Group	Ragtime	Harry Potter and the Cursed Child	Harry Potter and the Cursed Child		[35]
Majestic Theatre	245 W. 44th St.	1927	1645	Shubert Organization	Rufus LeMaire's Affairs	The Phantom of the Opera	—		[36]
Marquis Theatre	210 W. 46th St.	1986	1612	Nederlander Organization	Shirley Bassey	Me and My Girl	The Wiz		[37]
Minskoff Theatre	200 W. 45th St.	1973	1710	Nederlander Organization	Irene	The Lion King	The Lion King		[38]
Music Box Theatre	239 W. 45th St.	1921	1009	Shubert Organization	Music Box Revue (1921)	Dear Evan Hansen	Suffs		[39]
Nederlander Theatre Trafalgar Theatre (1979–1980) Billy Rose Theatre (1959–1979) National Theatre (1921–1959)	208 W. 41st St.	1921	1235	Nederlander Organization	Swords	Rent	The Who's Tommy		[40]
Neil Simon Theatre Alvin Theatre (1927–1983)	250 W. 52nd St.	1927	1467	Nederlander Organization	Funny Face	Hairspray	MJ the Musical		[41]
New Amsterdam Theatre	214 W. 42nd St.	1903	1747	Disney Theatrical Group	A Midsummer Night's Dream	The Lion King	Aladdin		[42]
Palace Theatre	1564 Broadway	1913	1743	Nederlander Organization	Miss Civilization	Beauty and the Beast	—		[43]
Richard Rodgers Theatre 46th Street Theatre (1932–1990) Chanin's 46th Street Theatre (1925–1932)	226 W. 46th St.	1925	1400	Nederlander Organization	The Greenwich Village Follies (1925)	Hamilton	Hamilton		[44]
Samuel J. Friedman Theatre Biltmore Theatre (1925–2008)	261 W. 47th St.	1925	650	Manhattan Theatre Club	Easy Come, Easy Go	Hair	Mary Jane		[45]
Shubert Theatre	225 W. 44th St.	1913	1460	Shubert Organization	Hamlet	A Chorus Line	Hell's Kitchen		[46]
Stephen Sondheim Theatre Henry Miller's Theatre (1998–2010) Kit Kat Klub (1998) Club Expo (1994-1997) City (1991-1994) Shout (1985-1991) Xenon (1978–1984) Avon-at-the-Hudson (1972–1978) Park-Miller Theatre (1970–1972) Henry Miller's Theatre (1918–1970)	124 W. 43rd St.	1918	1055	Roundabout Theatre Company	The Fountain of Youth	Beautiful: The Carole King Musical	& Juliet		[47]
St. James Theatre Erlanger's Theatre (1927–1932)	246 W. 44th St.	1927	1709	Jujamcyn Theaters	The Merry Malones	Hello, Dolly!	Illinoise		[48]
Studio 54 CBS Studio No. 52 (1946–1977) CBS Radio Playhouse No. 4 (1942–1946) New Yorker Theatre (1939–1942) Federal Music Theatre (1937–1939) Palladium Theatre (1936–1937) Casino de Paris (1933–1936) New Yorker Theatre (1930–1933) Gallo Opera House (1927–1930)	254 W. 54th St.	1927	1006	Roundabout Theatre Company	La Bohème	Cabaret	—		[49]
Todd Haimes Theatre American Airlines Theatre (2000–2023) Selwyn Theatre (1918–2000)	227 W. 42nd St.	1918	740	Roundabout Theatre Company	Information Please	The Royal Family	—		[50]
Vivian Beaumont Theater	150 W. 65th St.	1965	1080	Lincoln Center Theater	Danton's Death	Contact	Uncle Vanya		[51]
Walter Kerr Theatre Ritz Theatre (1921–1990) Robert F. Kennedy Childrens' Theatre	219 W. 48th St.	1921	945	Jujamcyn Theaters	Mary Stuart / A Man About Town	Hadestown	Hadestown		[52]
Winter Garden Theatre Cadillac Winter Garden Theatre (2002–2007) Winter Garden Theatre (1911–2002)	1634 Broadway	1911	1526	Shubert Organization	La Belle Paree / Bow-Sing / Tortajada	Cats	Back to the Future: The Musical		[53]

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Interactive map

Locations of active Broadway theaters. Each individual theater is represented by a pin which when clicked on shows the name of the theater.

There are eight theaters that once were considered Broadway houses that are still standing but no longer present Broadway theatre performances.^[54]

Before the Tony Awards era the definition of "Broadway Theater" was more subjective. Variety, burlesque, minstrelsy halls, vaudeville, opera houses, hippodromes, and theaters all laid claim to the moniker.^[1] There are multiple historic moments considered the beginning of Broadway theatre as a style including:

• 1866 – The Black Crook, considered the first piece of American style musical theater, opened at Niblo's Garden.^[9]
• 1919 – The newly-formed actors' union, Actors' Equity, went on a month-long strike. This strike gave actors and performers the recognition of a "fully legitimate professional trade",^[8] framing this style of theater as not just being an art, but also a full trade with the actors as laborers.^[64]
• 1949 – Actors' Equity came to an agreement with smaller theaters in New York to allow union members to perform for a "token salary" alongside non-union members in their houses. This created the current legal division between Broadway and Off-Broadway theaters.^[2][3]

The Internet Broadway Database lists all large venues in the general Theater District or Broadway areas of their time. The following lists organize all 95 demolished venues which hosted legitimate theater and appear on the Database. The theaters are organized into four lists based on when their last theatrical production opened compared to the three moments that may be considered the beginning of Broadway theatre. All theaters are listed by the name in use when their last theatrical production took place.