Accessibility
Accessing the Opera House
The War Memorial Opera House has the following entrances during performances: Van Ness Avenue, Grove Street, and North Carriage.
Wheelchair Access
All three entrances are accessible by wheelchair and without stairs. During normal business hours, when there is not a performance, only the Van Ness entrance is available. The wheelchair ramp at the Van Ness entrance is located to the right of the large staircase.
Pick Up/Drop Off
Patrons using a rideshare app for pick up and drop off please use the address 301 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94102 as the location of the Opera House. This will pick you up and drop you off at our main Van Ness entrance.
Guided Walking Groups
After evening performances, we offer guided walking groups to the Civic Center Garage and the Civic Center BART Station, for those who don’t wish to walk alone. Those groups meet 15 minutes after curtain outside the Van Ness entrance.
Facilities
The War Memorial Opera House offers accessible seating, restrooms, and services to ensure all guests enjoy a comfortable and welcoming experience
Wheelchair and Accessible Seating
The War Memorial Opera House is a historic building, and while not all sections are accessible, we offer accessible seats at a range of viewing angles and prices. The locations are described below and shown in our PDF seat map. Accommodations for patrons in wheelchairs, or patrons with disabilities, and their companions can be made online or by calling (415) 864-3330.
We offer the following accessible seats:
- Wheelchair space—no seat: These spaces have no physical seat; they are spaces that can accommodate a wheelchair and are located in the Orchestra Level and the last row of the Dress Circle1.
- Accessible companion seat: These are seats for those accompanying a patron with accessible seating needs.
- Accessible seat—no stairs: No stairs are needed to reach these seats. These seats are located in the Orchestra level and the last row of the Dress Circle.
- Transfer Seats: These seats have armrests that move for easier access into the seat. These are located in the Orchestra level and the Grand Tier.
- Bariatric Seats: These seats are wider and can support more weight. There are a limited number of these seats available on Orchestra Level and in the Dress Circle.
1 Wheelchairs and other personal assistive mobility devices are not provided by either San Francisco Opera or the War Memorial Performing Arts Center.
Orchestra Level. On the Orchestra Level we offer wheelchair and accessible seats at the Orchestra 4 price and the Balcony Circle 2 price. To access these seats with a wheelchair, patrons enter the theater through the accessible ramp on the North Carriage side of the house. The outside aisles are ramps that lead down to row S or back to the Standing Room area. From there, patrons can access the internal aisles to get to row ZZ or the other side of the house. There are also ramp entrances on the Grove Street side for patrons who cannot use stairs.
Dress Circle. In the Dress Circle we offer wheelchair and accessible seating in row L. These seats are our most affordable option at the same prices found in the Balcony 1, 2 and 3 sections. To access these seats, patrons must take the elevator to the 3rd floor and then enter the Dress Circle from the rear.
If your accessible seating needs change, please call the Box Office to ensure that your seats meet your needs when you arrive.
Fraud: The Department of Justice has recognized that there has been ticketing fraud in relation to the purchasing of accessible seats and has recently enacted federal laws to protect the rights of patrons with disabilities. San Francisco Opera strives to be in full compliance with these laws.
Other Services
Assistive listening devices are available for hearing-impaired patrons at the North or South Lobby coat check. ID deposit is required.
Text-to-Voice Supertitles: Live Titles, headsets that provide a spoken version of the projected supertitles, are available at the North Lobby coat check. A major credit card or driver’s license is required for deposit.
Large print cast and synopsis sheets are available at the North and South Lobby coat checks for performances where program books are available.
Website Accessibility
San Francisco Opera is committed to providing a website that is accessible to the widest possible audience, regardless of technology or ability. To provide a website that is as accessible as possible, we strive to substantially conform our website to the WCAG 2.2 Level AA.
Should you experience any difficulty in using our website, please don’t hesitate to email patronservices@sfopera.com.
