Venues

Just inside the festival’s main gate and steps from the train, the historic Martin Theatre is the only building that remains from the original construction of Ravinia, which opened in 1904. Beautifully restored in 1992, the 850-seat concert hall is home to stunning performances by the world’s finest chamber ensembles and vocal and instrumental soloists.

Views of the stage: The Martin Theatre is an indoor venue. While audio of the performance is broadcast outside for Lawn ticketholders, the stage is not visible from any location on the Lawn unless otherwise noted.

The Carousel Stage is located on the North Lawn, offering general admission seating for a more relaxed, laid-back experience. It hosts a variety of performances, including local and emerging artists, across genres like folk, jazz, and classical. With its casual atmosphere and scenic setting, it’s a great spot to enjoy live music in a more intimate, open-air environment.

Located at the south end of the park, Bennett Gordon Hall, in the John D. Harza Building, is a 450-seat, jewel-like recital hall. First opening its doors in 1988, BGH is Ravinia’s year-round venue featuring a microcosm of the festival’s diverse programming.

Bennett Gordon Hall (BGH) is an indoor venue. Performances are not broadcast to the video screens in the park nor to the speaker system across the Lawn.

Parking is free for all concerts presented in Bennett Gordon Hall and is normally available in the South Parking Lot at 201 St. Johns Ave. Please refer to each concert information page and pre-show emails for parking details.

Ravinia’s expansive Lawn offers a casual and comfortable place to picnic while enjoying live music. Bring your own picnic and beverages or visit our variety of onsite restaurants and concession carts. Guests are welcome to pack along picnic gear—however, please no tents/canopies, large umbrellas, grills, or anything staked into the ground, among other items—but for the ultimate in convenience, Wintrust Chair & Table Rental inside the park offers height-adjustable folding tables and comfortable folding chairs that can be rented for the night. Reserve them in advance when ordering tickets!

The Discover Reserved Lawn: Prime Lawn seating for groups of 2, 4, or 6 people in a reserved area just outside the Pavilion is available for all performances in the Pavilion and select other events. Each reserved block provides a premium view of the immersive video screen that faces the South Lawn throughout the summer season.

Video Screens: In addition to the permanent screen facing the South Lawn, on select nights—including for films with live orchestra—an additional screen is added to the North Lawn to show the performance or the film.

Views of the Stage and Live Sound: Video screens and the Lawn speaker system provide a live feed from the Pavilion stage, but all areas of the Lawn may not have a direct view of a screen or the stage. Carousel Stage performances are broadcast only to the speakers on the North Lawn. The Martin Theatre is an indoor venue—while live audio from the performance is broadcast outside for Lawn ticketholders, the stage is not visible from any location on the Lawn unless otherwise noted. Bennett Gordon Hall performances are not broadcast to the Lawn.