Venues
The Lensic Performing Arts Center
211 W. San Francisco Street
Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501
The historic Lensic Performing Arts Center hosts the majority of The Santa Fe Symphony Orchestra & Chorus’ season concerts. From 20th-century triumphs like Shostakovich’s Fifth Symphony to long-loved spectacles like our annual performances of Handel’s Messiah, you can experience it all right from downtown — just steps away from fabulous dining and specialty shops surrounding the Historic Santa Fe Plaza.
On June 24, 1931, the Lensic Theater celebrated its grand opening and soon became a hub of Santa Fe social life. Movies proved to be the great tonic of the Depression years and the war years that followed. The marquee changed four times a week—three shows daily, with ticket prices from 25 cents to 75 cents. Through the 1950s the Lensic thrived. It was a place for a first kiss in the balcony, a grand silver screen in the midst of the Depression, and a vaudeville venue where the community could see the singers, actors, dancers, and comedians of the day. However, as the city grew, other entertainment options became available. The technical requirements of modern performance were surpassing those offered by the Lensic. In the 1990s, while managed by United Artists, the theater stopped hosting live events, and in 1999 it closed its doors altogether.
Thanks to a group of dedicated individuals — led by Nancy and Bill Zeckendorf — who saw the potential for the venue and the future benefit for Santa Fe, theater renovations began in 2000 with gifts from individuals, local businesses, the city, and foundations. In April 2001, the Lensic Theater once again opened its doors to the people of Santa Fe, now as the nonprofit Lensic Performing Arts Center. It’s a place where magic still happens, more than 200 nights a year.
For information on parking & seating, see our FAQ page.
The Cathedral Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi
131 Cathedral Place
Santa Fe, NM 87501
The Cathedral Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi is a Roman Catholic cathedral in downtown Santa Fe and home to our free choral concerts.
The Cathedral is the mother church of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe. Built by Archbishop Jean Baptiste Lamy between 1869 and 1886 on the site of an older adobe church, La Parroquia (built in 1714–1717), the Cathedral was influenced by the French-born Archbishop Lamy. In dramatic contrast to the surrounding adobe structures, it was designed in the Romanesque Revival style and features characteristic round arches separated by Corinthian columns and truncated square towers.
The Cathedral of Saint Francis of Assisi was officially elevated to a basilica by Pope Benedict XVI on October 4, 2005, when it was named the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi.
For information on parking & seating, see our FAQ page.