COLUMBUS, Ga. - RiverCenter for the Performing Arts has 2,580 seats across three halls and covers 245,000 square feet, according to the venue's own website. RiverCenter says "more than three million patrons have walked through our doors." The center is at 900 Broadway and offers a parking garage that is open 24 hours a day and free to the public, except for marked reserved spaces.

RiverCenter is in its 2026-27 season, which the center ties to its 25th anniversary in 2027. The Bill Heard Theatre officially opened in April 2002, after a year of programming in the two smaller halls. From 2002 to 2027 is 25 years.

RiverCenter by the numbers

The table below lists the figures RiverCenter publishes about the building. The seat counts add up to the 2,580 total: 2,000 plus 430 plus 150. The patron figure is RiverCenter's own statement, and the page does not give the date it was made.

Three halls, 2,580 seats

The Bill Heard Theatre is the main venue, with 2,000 seats. It is the home of the Columbus Symphony Orchestra. RiverCenter also lists the Schwob School of Music as one of its resident partners.

Legacy Hall has 430 seats, and the Studio Theater is a 150-seat black box. Together the two smaller halls hold 580 seats. Adding the 2,000 seats in the Bill Heard Theatre gives the 2,580 total.

History and construction

The Bill Heard Theatre officially opened in April 2002. RiverCenter says it ran programming in its two smaller halls for a year before that. The architect was Hardy Holzman Pfeiffer and Associates.

RiverCenter lists about 200 miles of wiring, 150,000 feet of conduit, six million pounds of structural steel, one million masonry blocks, 300,000 bricks and 50 million pounds of concrete in the building. The building is 120 feet, or five stories, tall. These are the center's own figures, and The Columbus Times has not independently measured them.

Funding and ownership

RiverCenter's About page lists $86 million from the Columbus Challenge, noting that "over $100 million" was raised. It also lists a $17 million state appropriation and a $25 million matching pledge from the Bradley-Turner Foundation. The wording on the page is ambiguous, so this report does not add the amounts into a single project cost.

The page describes the property as "A property of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources." RiverCenter operates as a nonprofit, a 501(c)(3) organization. The sources reviewed do not say who pays for maintenance or what city or state funding the center receives today.

2026-27 season

RiverCenter's announcement for the 2026-27 season lists Broadway shows including The Music Man, Mystic Pizza, Hadestown and Legally Blonde. The music lineup includes The Avett Brothers, Bela Fleck, Take 6 and Arturo Sandoval. The season also includes Syncopated Ladies, Cirque Eloize and comedian John Crist.

Family shows on the schedule are Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock Live! and Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! RiverCenter also runs ArtsReach, an initiative that serves students across the Chattahoochee Valley. The announcement does not give attendance or participation totals for the season or for ArtsReach.

Upcoming dates

RiverCenter's events listing shows Whose Live Anyway? on Nov. 11 at 7:30 p.m. and Mystic Pizza on Nov. 14 at 7:30 p.m. The Columbus Symphony Orchestra's Wagner & Strauss follows on Nov. 21 at 7:30 p.m. The listing does not print a year, but the event pages indicate 2026.

Parking and visiting

The RiverCenter Parking Garage is open 24 hours and free to the public, except for marked reserved spaces. The city owns and operates the garage. Street parking is available on 9th and 10th Streets, and handicap spaces are on Broadway in front of the building.

RiverCenter and the city are not responsible for theft, loss or damage in the garage. The center asks visitors to arrive at least 30 minutes before showtime. The address is 900 Broadway, Columbus, GA 31901, and the phone number is (706) 256-3612.

What readers can do

• Call the box office at (706) 256-3612 or visit rivercenter.org for dates.
• Park free in the RiverCenter garage, which is open 24 hours.
• Next dates: Nov. 11 Whose Live Anyway? and Nov. 21 CSO Wagner & Strauss, both at 7:30 p.m.