Kalita Humphreys Theater
The only existing theater designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, the Kalita Humphreys Theater is an attraction on its own because of its signature aesthetic and its historically significant design. The theater was constructed in 1959 and was recognized as a historic landmark by the City of Dallas in 2007. It was built for the Dallas Theater Center, one of several local theater groups using the venue today.
Location and Parking
3636 Turtle Creek Blvd., Dallas TX 75204
Free parking is available in William B. Dean Park, located off Blackburn Street near the intersection with Turtle Creek Boulevard. Space is limited and open to the public; it’s advisable to arrive early for your performance.
What you need to know
Concessions: Alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages and light snacks are available for purchase and may be allowed in the performance hall on a show-by-show basis.
Dining: A variety of Dallas’ finest restaurants and bars awaits in the neighborhood, from Uptown to Oak Lawn and Turtle Creek.
Restrooms: Restrooms are located in the lower lobby; an accessible restroom is next to the Box Office in the main lobby.
Accessibility
Patrons may be dropped off at the theater’s west entrance for easy access. (The Mezzanine section is accessible only by stairs. Assistive listening devices and sensory bags available.
About Kalita Humphreys Theater
The Dallas Theater Center committee approached Frank Lloyd Wright to design a theater on land donated by Sylvan T. Baer along the picturesque Turtle Creek.
Busy at the time with other projects, Wright suggested that if the committee could use a plan already in his files, he would agree to the project. The original design had been created for a West Coast theater in 1915 and later adapted for Hartford, Conn. Neither of these theaters were built, and the design was adapted for Dallas.
Construction began in 1955 and was completed four years later (and nine months after Wright’s death) at a cost of more than $1,000,000. The theater opened Dec. 27, 1959, with a performance of Thomas Wolfe’s Of Time and the River.
The theater took its name from an actress who worked with Paul Baker, the first director of the Dallas Theater Center. Kalita Humphreys died in a plane crash in 1954, and her parents donated $120,000 to the theater as a memorial.
