The Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House at the AT&T Performing Arts Center is located between Woodall Rodgers Freeway and Ross Avenue at the eastern end of the Arts District, next door to the Meyerson Symphony Center.
Click here for more specific directions, or click here to find us on Google Maps.
Limited underground parking beneath the Winspear is available in the Lexus Red Garage. Reserved parking is available as a benefit to our Inner Circle members. Limited accessible parking spaces are also available. Parking is also available at the Hall Arts Garage and One Arts Plaza, just a short walk from the Winspear.
For more information and parking map, see Directions and Parking.
More parking in the Dallas Arts District here.
Whether you’re coming from far North Dallas or the other side of the Trinity River, you can arrive by DART rail, exiting at the Pearl Street DART station located just a few short blocks from the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House.
Pre-show dinner on the Skyline Terrace at the Winspear Opera House is available for most Mainstage operas. Concessions are also available before the performance and at intermission. No food or beverages are permitted in the performance hall.
More information on dining onsite here.
More information on dining options in the Dallas Arts District here.
The Winspear opens 90 minutes prior to performance time. For your safety, metal detector screening and bag checks are in place for all ticketed events. Please plan to arrive early so you have ample time.
Join us for the Joy and Ronald Mankoff Pre-Opera Talk, an interactive 30-minute lecture that begins one hour before the start of each Mainstage opera in the Margaret McDermott Performance Hall. Admission is free with your ticket to a Dallas Opera performance.
Family operas also include pre-show activities and crafts in the lobby starting at 12:30pm before 2:00pm performances.
Wear whatever makes you comfortable. We do not have a formal dress code and most people tend to wear business attire. You will see more casual attire on Wednesday nights and Sunday afternoons, and more formal attire on Opening Night and weekend evenings.
Latecomers and those who exit during the Mainstage opera performances will be seated at the discretion of the House Manager. We’ll seat you in a special section and then you can move to your purchased seat at the intermission. This is a courtesy to both the singers and other audience members. In order to get the most out of your opera experience, it is important to arrive prior to curtain time. Evening performances typically begin at 7:30 pm and matinees at 2:00 pm, but please check your tickets or consult the performance page on our website.
Tickets are available on the day of the event unless the performance is already sold-out. Doors open 90-minutes prior to curtain time. Note that our Box Office has a new location in the east lobby, just inside the doors to the right. Cash is not accepted. For additional information, contact Patron Services at 214.443.1000.
Bring a friend, neighbor, coworker, or family member and treat them to a new experience! If that isn’t possible, you may donate your extra ticket for a tax deduction equal to the amount you paid. Tickets can be donated up to one hour prior to curtain time. You can call the ticket office at 214.443.1000 during regular office hours or leave a message at 214.443.1005 after hours. The receipt for your ticket donation will be mailed to you in January.
The Dallas Opera traditionally performs operas in their original languages. English translations (called titles) are projected above the stage throughout every performance. The titles are also used even when the opera is sung in English.
In general, you can expect an opera to last between two-and-a-half and three hours, including intermissions. Works by certain composers, like Richard Wagner, can run longer. For details on running time, consult your performance webpage.
Each Mainstage opera has a “Listen and Learn” tab on The Dallas Opera’s website. You can listen to music samples and we’ll post additional materials if available.
You can also learn more on our TDO Connection’s webpage. TDO Connections™ is The Dallas Opera’s intentional process for human-centered, operatic storytelling. Each opera season, TDO will explore thematic elements relevant to our communities through select opera productions.
You may visit our Opera 101 page.
There are no food or beverages permitted inside the performance hall.Please silence your mobile devices and refrain from talking or texting on your cell phone during the performance. Recording of any performance by camera, audio, or video equipment, including cell phones, is strictly prohibited.
As a general rule, you should hold your applause until the performer has finished singing. If in doubt, you may wait until other audience members begin to clap. If you are extra enthusiastic about what you’ve just heard, feel free to shout “Bravo!” if the singer is a man and “Brava!” for a woman.
If you have an emergency, please try to exit as discreetly and quietly as possible, for the sake of other patrons. Latecomers and those who exit during the performance will be seated at the discretion of the House Manager.
Mainstage opera intermissions are twenty minutes long unless the program indicates otherwise. Stretch your legs, relax and enjoy a drink with your friends, or take a restroom break. Chimes will let you know that the intermission is ending and it’s time to silence your devices and return to your seat. Once the doors are closed, late seating will be at the discretion of the house manager.
