The Lunt-Fontanne Theatre opened on January 10, 1910 and was originally named the Globe Theatre. The venue was named after the famous Shakespearean theatre in London.

The first production at the venue was the musical The Old Town, which opened in 1919. In the 1930s, the space became a cinema operated by the Brandt chain until it was purchased by City Playhouses Inc. in 1957. The venue reopened as a theatre on May 5, 1958, and it was renamed in honor of theatrical couple Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne. The pair starred in the first production under the new ownership: Friedrich Dürrenmatt's The Visit. 

Producers Cy Feuer and Ernest H. Martin bought the theatre in 1960 and sold it to developer Stanley Stahl in 1965. The Nederlander Organization currently co-owns the venue with the Stahl estate.

How to get to the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre on Broadway

The Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, located on 46th Street and Broadway, is nearly equidistant from the 42nd Street - Times Square subway stop on the 1, 2, 3, 7, N, Q, R, W, and S lines, and the 50th Street stop on the 1 line.

The nearest bus stop is 8th Ave/W 46th St. on the M20 and M104 lines.

Restaurants near the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre

The Lunt-Fontanne Theatre is one block directly east of Restaurant Row, a hub for all types of restaurants located on 46th Street between Eighth and Ninth Avenues. Some popular restaurants there include Le Rivage (French), Becco (Italian), Lattanzi (Italian), Joe Allen (American), and Frankie and Johnnie's Steakhouse.

Learn more about popular pre- and post-show restaurants in the Theatre District.