Broadway Show Girls

The Broadway House Guide

Hayes Theater

Formerly the Little Theatre, the New York Times Hall, the Winthrop Ames Theatre and the Helen Hayes Theatre

  • 597 seats
  • 2levels
  • Proscenium stage
  • Opened 1912

Imani's take

The smallest house on Broadway — 597 seats. Every seat is close. This is where you buy the cheapest ticket on offer and feel smug about it.

— Imani Carter, spectacle editor

Where to Sit at the Hayes Theater

Levels, bottom to top: Orchestra → Balcony. A intimate house.

One balcony over the orchestra

Two levels only, so the balcony is the whole upper house — its front rows are some of the best seats in the building for anything with choreography or a big set. The last rows of the orchestra sit under the overhang — fine for a play, a little boxed-in for a big musical.

Our rule of thumb

At 597 seats this is one of Broadway’s small rooms, so there is no truly distant seat. Spend on center over close, and don’t be afraid of the cheapest tier.

Still torn? Carmen's orchestra vs. mezzanine vs. balcony breakdown and our cheap-tickets playbook apply to every house.

Good to Know

  • The smallest Broadway theater
  • Originally a single-level, 299-seat house; the balcony was added in 1920

Getting There

240 West 44th Street, New York, NY.

  • ACE42 St–Port Authority Bus Terminal · about 0.1 mi away
  • 1237NQRWSTimes Sq–42 St · about 0.15 mi away

Distances are straight-line from the station's mapped center; big complexes like Times Square have many entrances, some closer. Check the MTA for service changes.

Schematic map of Broadway theaters, 41st to 54th StreetEach dot is a Broadway house placed by its street address, almost all between Sixth and Eighth Avenues. North is up.54535251504948474645444342418th Ave7th Ave6th AveBroadwayTimes SqAl Hirschfeld Theatre — 1,404 seatsAmbassador Theatre — 1,125 seatsAugust Wilson Theatre — 1,225 seatsBelasco Theatre — 1,016 seatsBernard B. Jacobs Theatre — 1,100 seatsBooth Theatre — 800 seatsBroadhurst Theatre — 1,218 seatsBroadway Theatre — 1,763 seatsCircle in the Square Theatre — 776 seatsEthel Barrymore Theatre — 1,058 seatsEugene O'Neill Theatre — 1,108 seatsGerald Schoenfeld Theatre — 1,079 seatsGershwin Theatre — 1,933 seatsHayes Theater — 597 seatsHayes TheaterHudson Theatre — 970 seatsImperial Theatre — 1,457 seatsJames Earl Jones Theatre — 1,092 seatsJohn Golden Theatre — 800 seatsLena Horne Theatre — 1,069 seatsLongacre Theatre — 1,077 seatsLunt-Fontanne Theatre — 1,505 seatsLyceum Theatre — 922 seatsLyric Theatre — 1,622 seatsMajestic Theatre — 1,681 seatsMarquis Theatre — 1,612 seatsMinskoff Theatre — 1,710 seatsMusic Box Theatre — 1,025 seatsNederlander Theatre — 1,235 seatsNeil Simon Theatre — 1,467 seatsNew Amsterdam Theatre — 1,702 seatsPalace Theatre — 1,648 seatsRichard Rodgers Theatre — 1,400 seatsSamuel J. Friedman Theatre — 650 seatsShubert Theatre — 1,502 seatsSt. James Theatre — 1,709 seatsStephen Sondheim Theatre — 1,055 seatsStudio 54 — 1,006 seatsTodd Haimes Theatre — 740 seatsWalter Kerr Theatre — 975 seatsWinter Garden Theatre — 1,600 seatsN ↑ · Vivian Beaumont: Lincoln Center, W 65th St (off map)

Accessibility

We have no sourced detail on this house’s accessible routes yet. Broadway houses must offer wheelchair and companion seating, and assistive-listening devices are widely available; book accessible seats directly with the official seller or through Second Stage Theater.

Hayes Theater FAQ

How many seats does the Hayes Theater have?
About 597 seats, across 2 levels (Orchestra and Balcony). Exact capacity can shift slightly from production to production.
Where is the Hayes Theater?
240 West 44th Street, in Manhattan's Theater District. It is operated by Second Stage Theater.
What subway stop is closest to the Hayes Theater?
42 St–Port Authority Bus Terminal (A, C, E trains), about 0.1 miles away; Times Sq–42 St (1, 2, 3, 7, N, Q, R, W, S trains), about 0.15 miles away.
Does the Hayes Theater have a mezzanine?
The house has 2 levels: Orchestra and Balcony. Ticket sellers often label the first upper level the “mezzanine” even where the architecture calls it a balcony, so check the seller’s seat map for exact section names.
What was the Hayes Theater called before?
It has previously been known as the Little Theatre, the New York Times Hall, the Winthrop Ames Theatre and the Helen Hayes Theatre.
When did the Hayes Theater open?
It opened in 1912. Architect: Ingalls & Hoffman.

Nearby Houses

All 41 Broadway theaters →

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Sources

Facts checked 2026-10-09. Seat counts are approximate and can change with each production's configuration. The opinions are Broadway Show Girls'; spot an error?Tell us.