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9 Best Theaters in Asheville, NC (in 2024)

Exterior of the Wortham Center for the Performing Arts, one of the best theaters in Asheville, NC
Wortham Center for the Performing Arts, one of the best theaters in Asheville, NC – Andriy Blokhin / Shutterstock.com

There are many great theaters in Asheville, NC that are perfect if you’re in the city and if you like entertainment.

Whether you want to see dance shows, live theater shows, concerts, or movies, there’s a theater that’s great for you in the city.

Not only are the theaters great for entertainment, but some of them also have beautiful interiors and exteriors that are worth seeing. For example, I included a historic movie theater in this list.

In this Asheville theaters guide I included many kinds of theaters to make sure you’ll find the one that suits what you’re looking for. I included large theaters, but you can also find small and intimate places on the list. Besides that, the theaters offer a large variety of entertainment.

Best Theaters in Asheville

Fine Arts Theatre

Fine Arts Theatre and cars
Cars in front of Fine Arts Theatre – Nolichuckyjake / Shutterstock.com

There are many great theaters in Asheville, and one of the best is the Fine Arts Theatre.

This is a historic movie theater that you can go to to see a variety of types of movies. Seeing a movie here is one of the most fun things to do at night in Asheville.

For example, you can go here to see independent movies that will surprise you as you likely haven’t heard about them.

Besides that, you can see arthouse films here and other types of movies as well.

Furthermore, the movie theater is the home of great premieres throughout the year.

What’s great about this place as well is that you can get very good snacks and drinks here.

Also, the intimate atmosphere of this movie theater makes it great to visit. And if you are looking for a great date spot, this is a great one to consider because of the atmosphere. Going to this theater is also one of the best rainy day activities in Asheville.

Address: 36 Biltmore Ave, Asheville, NC 28801

Wortham Center for the Performing Arts

View of the Wortham Center for the Performing Arts
Front of the Wortham Center for the Performing Arts – Jeffery Edwards / Shutterstock.com

The Wortham Center for the Performing Arts is a theater complex that you can find in downtown Asheville. To be more specific, you can find the Wortham Center for the Performing Arts in the Pack Square Cultural District. It’s next to the Asheville Art Museum, which is one of the best museums in Asheville.

Here, you can find three different venues for live entertainment. Seeing a show here is one of the best things to do in Asheville.

Together, these venues showcase very good dance performances, dance shows, live theater shows, and much more. This means there’s a large variety of entertainment to choose from.

Moreover, you can go here to see shows by both national as well as international artists.

Besides that, the theater is the home of a variety of local groups.

For example, The Asheville Ballet performs at this venue. So if you want to experience local theater, this place is great for that too!

Address: 18 Biltmore Ave, Asheville, NC 28801

The Magnetic Theatre

The Magnetic Theatre is a lovely not-for-profit theater that you should definitely check out when you are spending some time in the city of Asheville.

This intimate theater has a great annual program with very good plays that I’m sure you’ll like. Also, what’s great is that the theater has very high-quality original productions that are created with local actors. This means that the theater is perfect if you want to experience local theater.

What’s great as well is that the shows of this place vary in type. For example, there are more serious shows as well as shows with great comedy that will make you laugh a lot!

And what’s great is that the theater also has a seasonal program. For example, you can see great Christmas shows when you go here during the holiday season.

Address: 375 Depot St, Asheville, NC 28801

The Orange Peel

Outside of The Orange Peel
Building of The Orange Peel – Jeffery Edwards / Shutterstock.com

The Orange Peel is one of the best venues in the city.

You can find this venue in Downtown Asheville and it is a quite large space. In total, it has a capacity of more than 1,000 people.

At this place, you can enjoy very good live music by very good artists.

In the past, many famous artists performed at The Orange Peel, including the Kings of Leon, Deadmau5, Ice Cube, Bob Dylan, and many other well-known artists.

Furthermore, in the past, the venue also hosted music festivals.

If you want to enjoy a great concert when you are in Asheville, this is therefore a theater that you should definitely consider.

Address: 101 Biltmore Ave, Asheville, NC 28801

North Carolina Stage Company

The North Carolina Stage Company is a performing arts theater in Asheville that you can find on Stage Lane. The theater was founded in the year 2001

This is a very nice local venue where you can experience great professional theater in Downtown Asheville.

The theater has a seating capacity of 127 people, which makes it a very small and intimate place. That’s also why this one is great if you’re looking for a place for a date night.

Every season, the theater produced 4 to 7 plays, and these plays are very good.

Through the years, the theater has won numerous awards, so you can be sure to expect great shows here.

Also, what’s great is that you can see comedic acts here as well. So if you are in for a fun time, you can go here.

Address: 15 Stage Ln, Asheville, NC 28801

Asheville Community Theatre

Asheville Community Theatre and nature
Nature in front of Asheville Community Theatre – Nolichuckyjake / Shutterstock.com

The Asheville Community Theatre is yet one of the best Asheville theaters.

This is one of the oldest community theaters in the United States, and the theater is the oldest continuously operating community theater in the city. This makes this one of the most unique places on this list that you should definitely check out.

The theater was opened in the year 1946 and it has been producing great shows since that year. You can see great musicals, shows with good live music, and much more at this place. Also, there are kid-friendly musicals at this theater, which is great if you’re looking for things to do with kids in Asheville.

If you want to experience great local theater, you should check out this theater for sure.

The shows at this theater are always very good and so are the actors!

Also, there are sometimes special events that take place at this theater that can be great to attend too.

Address: 35 E Walnut St, Asheville, NC 28801

The Montford Park Players

The Montford Park Players is a theater company that produces great shows throughout the year.

You can see these shows at a lovely amphitheater that is located in the Montford District of the city of Asheville. This is the Hazel Robinson Amphitheater and it is very easy to get to this amphitheater.

Also, what’s great is that you can go here to enjoy free outdoor theater shows.

The Montford Park Players also showcase the longest running Shakespeare festival in North Carolina. That show has been taking place for the last 50 years. Attending this is a wonderful experience as well.

Seeing a show of the Montford Park Players is also one of the best date ideas in Asheville.

Address: 92 Gay St, Asheville, NC 28801

Thomas Wolfe Auditorium

Outside of the Thomas Wolfe Auditorium
People in front of the Thomas Wolfe Auditorium – Nolichuckyjake / Shutterstock.com

The Thomas Wolfe Auditorium is one of the best and most popular venues in Western North Carolina.

The auditorium is the home of the Asheville Symphony Orchestra.

So if you want to enjoy great classical music, you can go to this place for that.

But that’s not all that you can see here!

The Thomas Wolfe Auditorium is also the place where some of the most well-known artists perform.

All kinds of different shows take place at the auditorium. For example, you can go here to enjoy great concerts, dance performances, comedy shows, and much much more.

Also, this is a very large performing arts theater as it has a capacity of more than 2,400 people.

Every year, there are more than 100 performances that take place at the auditorium.

Address: 87 Haywood St, Asheville, NC 28801

Asheville Music Hall

The Asheville Music Hall is a great live music venue that you can go to when you are in Asheville.

The Asheville Musical Hall is located in the center of Asheville and it was first opened in the year 2011.

The music hall isn’t very large. In total, it has a capacity of 360.

At the theater, you can experience many different genres and in the past lots of different artists have performed here. This also includes very well-known artists, such as Disclosure.

If you want to listen to great live music when you are in Downtown Asheville, this place is perfect for that.

Also, what’s great is that local, regional, and national artists perform at the Asheville Music Hall. Because of that, there is a lot to choose from and there is certainly a concert that you would like to attend!

Address: 31 Patton Ave, Asheville, NC 28801

More Asheville Articles

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Weekend in Asheville itinerary

Free things to do in Asheville, NC

Coffee shops in Asheville, NC

Bookstores in Asheville

Asheville Theaters Tips

If you want to have a great time at one of the Asheville theaters on this list, you should definitely check out the theaters’ calendar. That way, you can determine which theater you want to visit when you are in the city.

Or if there’s a particular show that you want to see, you can plan your trip in such a way that you are in Wilmington when this show takes place.

Keep in mind that you need to buy tickets for many of the shows in advance!

Theaters in Asheville Map


These were my favorite theaters in Asheville, NC! As you see, there are many great ones in the city.

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