[title]
For nearly four decades, theatergoers have flocked to the Hudson Valley for open-air Shakespeare performances with sweeping views of the Hudson River. Now, that beloved summer tradition has a permanent new home—and it's an architectural showpiece.
RECOMMENDED: This gorgeous new theater will soon open in the Hudson Valley
Samuel H. Scripps Theater Center, the new headquarters for Hudson Valley Shakespeare, has officially completed construction and is welcoming audiences for its inaugural season in Garrison, about 60 miles north of New York City. The six-year project gives the acclaimed company its first permanent home after years of operating from seasonal tents and temporary structures.
Designed by renowned architecture firm Studio Gang, the 14,850-square-foot venue sits on a 98-acre campus overlooking the Hudson Highlands. The theater's curved mass-timber structure was designed to blend into the surrounding landscape while preserving the company's signature connection between performance and nature.
The project comes with a notable distinction: Hudson Valley Shakespeare says the building is the first public purpose-built LEED Platinum theater in the United States, setting a new benchmark for sustainable performing arts venues. The broader campus includes restored meadows, walking paths and ecological conservation efforts developed alongside landscape architects Nelson Byrd Woltz.
Inside, audiences will find a 451-seat theater along with educational spaces, dressing rooms, offices and year-round facilities that will allow the organization to expand beyond its traditional summer schedule. Future plans also include artist housing on the campus, scheduled for completion in 2027.
The new venue launches with a summer lineup that includes As You Like It, King Lear and a new production of Les Misérables. As always, audiences can arrive early to picnic on the grounds before performances begin, a hallmark of the Hudson Valley Shakespeare experience that isn't going anywhere.
The theater is part of a $33 million transformation that turned a former golf course into a year-round arts destination, preserving nearly 100 acres of Hudson Valley landscape in the process. For New Yorkers looking for an easy cultural getaway this summer, it may be one of the state's most impressive new attractions.
For more information and to purchase tickets, click here.