Free Public Tours Offered at Marion Oliver McCaw Hall, Begins 8/17

Marion Oliver McCaw Hall at Seattle Center begins free tours in August to provide the public an opportunity to explore one of the most outstanding performance venues in the nation. The tours are offered the third Tuesday of each month beginning on Aug. 17 and continuing on Sept. 21, Oct. 19, Nov. 16, and into the new year (no Dec. tour), noon to 1 p.m.

Tours will bring visitors through the auditoriums, lobbies and amenity spaces that contribute to the ambiance and grandeur of the facility and give them a glimpse of the backstage - and the state-of-the-art production technology of the Hall. The tours will highlight the extensive art collection housed in the building, review the dynamic history of the Hall and point out the many environmentally sustainable design features of this world-class venue.

Marion Oliver McCaw Hall, completed in 2003, is the third reincarnation of a performance hall on the site whose life began in 1928 as Seattle"s first civic auditorium. The building was fully renovated for the 1962 Seattle World"s Fair. McCaw Hall is home to the Pacific Northwest Ballet and Seattle Opera, who perform in the 2,900-seat Susan Brotman Auditorium. Seattle International Film Festival makes use of the smaller Nesholm Family Hall for its year-round film series. Seattle Center operates and maintains the building.

McCaw Hall administrative staff lead the monthly tours, They require advanced sign-up, and are subject to change based on event schedules. The sign-up deadline is at noon on the previous Friday. The tour size is limited to 25 people on a first come-first served basis. To register, call the McCaw Hall administrative office at 206 733. To learn more about other free public offerings at Seattle Center, visit www.seattlecenter.com.

About McCaw Hall
Marion Oliver McCaw Hall at Seattle Center is the region's premier performance venue. McCaw Hall opened in June 2003 after a $127 million renovation of the Seattle Opera House, which includes the state-of-the-art 2,900-seat Susan Brotman Auditorium, the 380-seat Nesholm Family Lecture Hall, Prelude Café, elegant lobbies fronted by a luminous five-story serpentine glass wall, two beautiful donor/special function rooms, and a 17,800-square-foot public plaza (the Kreielsheimer Promenade) that serves as an entry into McCaw Hall and the Seattle Center campus. Each year the Pacific Northwest Ballet and Seattle Opera present approximately 150 performances in the main auditorium. In addition, the Hall hosts a wide range of popular music concerts, lectures, corporate meetings, receptions, weddings, festival performances, and community and non-profit events. In 2007 McCaw Hall embarked on a partnership with the Seattle International Film Festival, which presents nearly 500 film screenings in the Nesholm Lecture Hall throughout the year. All in all, these events generate more than 400,000 patron visits in 2009.

About Seattle Center
Seattle Center draws you in. Its vibrant pulse brings together people of all ages and walks of life to create thousands of extraordinary experiences that enrich millions of lives each year. Entertainment options abound - starting with nearly 500 free and affordable Seattle Center produced events and over 5,000 shows and activities on the campus annually. The 74-acre campus, with its 17 acres of open space, is welcoming to all - and is home to more than 30 cultural, educational, sports and entertainment organizations. This treasured urban park exists to delight and inspire the human spirit in each person and bring us together in a rich and varied community. The 12 million visitors to Seattle Center each year generate $1.15 billion in business activity and $387 million in labor income for King County.