Charleston Music Hall
The Charleston Music Hall is an 1849 railway depot turned concert hall at 37 John Street in downtown Charleston, seating 965 with a reserved floor or 1,198 when the orchestra seats come out for a standing show. The city garage next door has its entrance set back from John Street between the hall and the Hampton Inn, and the box office opens two hours before showtime. There is no elevator to the balcony, so accessible seating is on the first floor.
Before you go
- Capacity
- 965
- Indoor or outdoor
- Indoor: a seated hall with removable orchestra seats for general admission shows
- Official site
- charlestonmusichall.com
- Next festival here
- Charleston Jazz Festival, Apr 11 to 20, 2027
Worth knowing before you go
- Some shows are general admission with the floor seats removed; the website and Ticketmaster mark them.
- Standing is not allowed in the front row of the balcony, so buy balcony seats if you want to sit.
- There is no coat or bag check, and bags over 12 by 6 by 12 inches are refused.
- For 18-plus and 21-plus shows only a physical driver's licence, passport or official digital ID counts; a photo of an ID does not.
- The garage next door is run by the City of Charleston and ABM, not the venue.
Festivals here
Venue basics: 965 seated, 1,198 with a standing floor · City garage next door, entrance off John Street · No elevator to the balcony.
Is it for you
Choose it if
- you want a 1,000-seat historic room with bars and food inside
- you want first-floor accessible seating and listening devices at every show
- you are following the Charleston Jazz Festival's headline concerts
Think twice if
- you need an elevator to reach balcony seats
- you are under 21 and hope to step out and come back in
Getting there and parking
The hall is at 37 John Street in the Garden District of downtown Charleston. From I-26 East take exit 221B for Meeting Street toward the Visitor Center, and the Music Hall and Camden Garage are on the left.
The public garage next door sits between the hall and the Hampton Inn; its entrance is set back, so turn into the lot between the two buildings. It is run by the City of Charleston and ABM. Other garages are one block north at the Visitor Center between Ann and Mary Streets and one block south by the Francis Marion Hotel at 399 King Street, with metered street parking around.
The box office at 37 John Street is open Thursday and Friday 10am to 3pm and from two hours before showtime until the headliner goes on. Buying there avoids the Ticketmaster charge, though a small box office fee and sales tax apply.
Accessibility
Accessible seating is on the first floor of the theatre and can be bought through Ticketmaster or by emailing [email protected] or calling 843-853-2252. Assisted listening devices can be borrowed for the evening at every show; ask at the box office when you arrive.
There is no elevator to the second-floor balcony, and standing is not allowed in the balcony's front row.
Confirm your specific needs with the venue before you travel (charlestonmusichall.com).
Camping
We don't yet have confirmed information about camping at the Music Hall. The venue's own pages are the place to check: charlestonmusichall.com.
Food, water and what you can bring
The bars serve beer, wine, liquor and house-made cocktails plus non-alcoholic drinks, Tully's sells hand pies in-house, and there are snacks, candy and popcorn. Bars and venue merch are cashless, taking credit, debit, Apple Pay and Google Pay, though artist merch may still take cash.
Bags up to 12 by 6 by 12 inches are allowed and searched, with exceptions for medical equipment and nursing mothers, and there is no coat or bag check. Video cameras, tripods, monopods, selfie sticks, audio recorders and professional cameras are not permitted; phone photos without flash are fine only if the artist allows. Weapons, drugs and unmarked medication bottles are banned, smoking indoors is banned citywide, and re-entry with a hand stamp is for over-21s only.
Sound and sensory
The hall is a KultureCity Certified Sensory Inclusive venue, with sensory bags available at the box office for every event.
Shows may use haze and atmospheric effects. The stage carries a 10K projector with a 20 by 16 foot screen on the proscenium and a full-size 40 by 18 foot movie screen midstage, and the venue is all ages unless a show is marked 18-plus or 21-plus, with under-18s attending with an adult.
Quick answers
Where do I park for the Charleston Music Hall?
In the city garage next door, entered from the lot between the hall and the Hampton Inn off John Street. Other garages are a block north at the Visitor Center and a block south by the Francis Marion Hotel.
Is the Charleston Music Hall wheelchair accessible?
Partly. Accessible seating is on the first floor and can be booked through Ticketmaster or the box office, but there is no elevator to the second-floor balcony.
Can I bring a bag into the Charleston Music Hall?
Yes, up to 12 by 6 by 12 inches, and it will be searched. There is no coat or bag check, so keep it with you.
When does the box office open?
Thursday and Friday 10am to 3pm, and two hours before showtime until the headliner goes on stage.
Is the Charleston Music Hall standing or seated?
Usually seated, but the orchestra seats come out for general admission shows, which are marked on the website and Ticketmaster. Balcony front-row standing is not allowed.
Can I leave and come back in?
Only if you are 21 or over, with a hand stamp from event staff before you leave.
Does the Charleston Music Hall take cash?
No. The box office, bars and venue merch are cashless; artist merchandise may still accept cash.
Is the Charleston Music Hall sensory friendly?
Yes. It is KultureCity certified, with sensory bags at the box office for every event, and assisted listening devices can be borrowed at every show.
A little history
The building went up in 1849 to 1850 as the Tower Depot, a South Carolina Railroad passenger station by architect Edward C. Jones with a three-storey tower and an entrance big enough for a train. It closed as a depot in 1853, became part of a cotton bagging factory in 1878, lost its tower in the 1886 earthquake and then sat derelict for sixty years until the Bennett-Hofford Company turned it into an arts venue in 1995. Ricky Skaggs won a Grammy for a live album recorded here in 2003.
Charleston Jazz lists the Music Hall among its venues for Charleston Jazz Festival concerts with the Charleston Jazz Orchestra.