Five Live Music Venues in the Washington D.C. Area

In 1971 the Kennedy Center opened its doors to the public. Decorating the lobby is a vibrant red carpet that is longer than the Washington Monument. Also a bust of the late president is in the lobby as well. Since its opening it has been the home of dance, theater and concerts. It houses six stages, two restaurants and several gift shops. Times to visit the theater for free guided tours are: 10am-5pm Monday-Friday and 10am 1pm Saturdays and Sundays.

The address of the center is 2700 F Street NW and the phone number is 800-444-1324.

Wolf Trap - Filene Center

Wolf Trap is venue that was established in 1971. It sits on a hillside and seats 3,766. During the summer it has been a Washington tradition to have a picnic under the stars and enjoy a musical concert. It seats 352 people during the winter and offers 100 concerts. They range from bluegrass to classical. The indoor theater was formed by placing two barns together. The floor seating can contain 254 and the upper level, which was a hayloft it holds 98 people.

The address of Wolf Trap is 1551 Trap Road, Vienna Va 22182 703-255- 1900 is the phone number.

MCI Center

The MCI Center, which is located on 7th and F Streets NW Washington D.C, plays host to sports and musical concerts every day. It is home to the NBA Wizards, NHL Capitals, WNBA Mystics and Georgetown Hoyas.

It boasts of a Telescreen that is 12 feet to 16 feet and is considered the largest video scoreboard in size, The center also has Luxury Suites that consist of remote control TV's, private restroom and wet bar. A visitor of the Center will also see the video wall that is present in the main concourse. It presents a 30 minute program of future events and highlights of sports, entertainment and politics of the Washington area.

Ford's Theater

Ford's was opened in 1968 after being closed for 103 years and showcases musical productions as well as dramatic works. It is steeped in history being the infamous place that President Lincoln was assassinated in by John Wilkes Booth. The theater also hosts Opening Act which is a workshop spearheaded by professional theatre instructors.

Tickets to productions at Ford's Theater are available 10:00 a.m until 6:00 p.m Tuesday through Friday. The individual ticket number is 202-397-7238 or 800-527-6384.

The group sales office is (202) 638-2367 or 800-899-2367.

Merriweather Post Pavilion

Fifty acres of park land is the site of the Merriweather Post Pavilion. It houses 5,200 pavilion seats which is covered and 10,000 lawn seats. Summer performances are offered to people that live in the Washington Metropolitan area as well as tourists that visit D.C.

The Pavilion offers a three life size video screen as well as lighting in various colored hues. It also has lighted pathways and 150 year old beech tree groves. Also benches are provide a view of a new fountain located in Symphony Wood's Pond. 1998 brought improvements to the Pavilion which include disabled parking, banners in tan, green and white as well as box office windows.

The address of Merriweather Post Pavilion is 10475 Little Patuxent Parkway, Columbia, MD 21044. 410-715-5550 is the telephone number.