The Rose Theater

What Plays There

The Omaha Theater Company, which the Rose calls Nebraska's only professional children's theater, stages live theater for children and families beyond its mainstage productions: select shows carry ASL interpretation for audience members who are deaf or hard of hearing, and others are designated sensory-friendly, which can include a private room to gather in before the show, reserved seating, and a post-show question-and-answer period. Pricing flexes, too: Pay-What-You-Can tickets are available for most productions, on one specific performance per run that each show's page lists, go on sale at noon the day of, cash only, and are capped at 10 tickets at once, because the Rose says no child should be turned away for economic reasons.

For what's running this month, check the Rose's own calendar at rosetheater.org.

Tickets and Box Office

Buying Tickets

Buy tickets at rosetheater.org or by calling the box office at 402.345.4849. The Rose calls its own site and box office the only official ticketing source for its shows, and warns that tickets bought anywhere else may be invalid, more expensive, or not honored at the door. If you're a member and didn't reserve your show dates when you signed up, log into your account to do it now. Memberships are built around six consecutive member shows from the time you sign up. Exchanges only happen by calling the box office, never online.

Ticket Prices

General admission runs $20 a ticket on regular-season shows, confirmed on each show's page. Premium productions price by seating section instead, and typically cost more; one recent premium show listed $25 for the Balcony and $30 for the Main Floor. Confirm the exact price when you book. Members pay less: up to 10 additional $10 tickets on regular-season shows, and $7 off up to 10 tickets to each premium show.

Box Office Hours and Will Call

The box office is open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; call 402.345.4849 outside those hours and someone will call you back. On performance weekends, box office phones are staffed 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., and the lobby doors open 45 minutes before showtime. Will Call is a separate table in the lobby, not the box office itself, and tickets emailed to you can be scanned right off your phone or printed, whichever you'd rather deal with.

Seating and Capacity

The Riviera auditorium filled 2,776 seats when it opened in 1927. That's a historic figure from the building's early days, not a current seating count, and the Rose doesn't publish today's capacity. What's known about the layout: seating is split between a Main Floor and a Balcony, with a mezzanine level above the lobby. Call ahead if you need the current seat count or a section breakdown.

Reserved seating is available for ASL-interpreted performances; call the box office ahead to set it up. Sensory-friendly performances can include reserved seating and a private room to gather before the show. Accessible seating on the Main Floor is limited to up to 10 wheelchair spaces per show, and courtesy wheelchairs are available; call ahead to confirm availability.

Getting There and Parking

The Rose Theater sits at 2001 Farnam St., on the southwest corner of 20th and Farnam in downtown Omaha. Parking runs $2 in the garage at 19th and Harney, courtesy of the Omaha Douglas Public Building Commission at 1910 Harney St. Prefer a meter? They're active 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday through Saturday, managed through ParkOmaha, and free on Sundays and holidays. The Rose doesn't publish a rideshare or drop-off point; if you're being dropped off, the entrance is at 20th and Farnam.

Venue Policies

Bag Policy and Prohibited Items

The Rose doesn't publish a bag policy or a list of prohibited items. If that matters for your visit, call ahead.

Age Rules and Dress Code

There's no published minimum-age rule for shows, so call ahead if you're deciding whether a performance is right for a very young child. The dress code, on the other hand, is refreshingly simple: wear what makes you comfortable. Some families dress up for the occasion, and costumes and capes are welcome for shows with a popular theme.

Accessibility Services

The Rose lends sensory kits, each with headphones and some fidgets, first come, first served. Booster seats are also available first come, first served: hand over your ID, and you get it back when the booster comes back. Sensory-friendly performances can add a private gathering room, reserved seating, a post-show Q&A, a social story posted on the individual show's page, and reduced ticket prices available by phone only. Select performances also carry ASL interpretation, reserved by calling the box office, plus an assistive listening system for main stage shows. Other published services include audio-described performances, a noise-proof Restless Room with a live video feed of the stage, large-print programs on request, and free tickets, up to four per production, for anyone with a tribal ID. Accessible parking sits directly outside the theater: six spaces on Friday evenings, 10 on Saturdays and Sundays, plus an elevator to the mezzanine restrooms. For anything else accessibility-related, call the box office.

Food, Drinks, and Amenities

The Rose Theater Guild runs a small boutique open for most performances, selling snacks and bottles of water, most items $1, plus toys, stuffed animals, and books. It takes cash, or credit for anything over $5. During premium events, the Rose opens extra counters for chocolate chip cookies and water at intermission. Those are cash only, though the box office itself still takes credit cards. The Guild behind the boutique has raised more than $1.5 million for the Rose since 1985.

Where to Eat and Drink Nearby

Block16, at 1611 Farnam St., is open 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Wednesday and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. Kitchen Table, at 1415 Farnam St., runs a from-scratch, local, seasonal menu Tuesday through Sunday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., with no Mondays. Both lean toward daytime hours, so they're a better match for a matinee than a late curtain.

Our pick: Block16, Thursday through Saturday, when it's open until 8 p.m. and makes the better bet for a show that lets out after Kitchen Table's 3 p.m. close. Each production's run typically includes a 2 p.m. Sunday matinee, and on Sundays Block16 is closed, so Kitchen Table is the better option instead.

Tips for a First Visit

Get there early. Lobby doors open 45 minutes before showtime, and the auditorium doors follow about 30 minutes out. Buy your tickets ahead at rosetheater.org or by phone, since exchanges only happen by calling the box office, never online. If you'll need a booster seat, bring an ID to trade for it. Budget for the meter or $2 for the garage at 19th and Harney. And don't overthink what to wear: comfortable is the rule, and capes are welcome for themed shows.

However you dress for it, get there a little early and let the Rose take it from there.