Ed Sullivan Theater

The Ed Sullivan Theater is a thirteen-story brick building with Gothic Revival elements in its interior design on Broadway between West 53rd and 54th Streets in Manhattan. The auditorium seats four hundred people and features rows that slope down toward the stage.

The building opened as Hammerstein's Theater in 1927 as a venue for Broadway productions. CBS acquired the space in 1950 and converted it into a television studio where a weekly variety program began broadcasting in 1953.

The venue takes its name from the television host who reached millions of viewers every Sunday evening here for nearly two decades. The building remains a place where late-night television is recorded in front of an audience that travels from different parts of the United States to attend.

The studio currently records an evening talk show for which visitors can apply for free tickets in advance. The entrance is on the Broadway side of the building, and guests should expect security screening before entering the auditorium.

In 1927, a young British acrobat named Archie Leach made his first appearance on an American stage here. He later moved to film and took the stage name Cary Grant, under which he became one of Hollywood's most recognized actors.

Location: Manhattan

Inception: 1927

Architects: Herbert J. Krapp

Official opening: 1927

Architectural style: Gothic Revival

Capacity: 400

Address: 1697 Broadway

GPS coordinates: 40.76375,-73.98278

Latest update: December 13, 2025 17:21