Atlas Performing Arts Center

The Atlas Performing Arts Center is a venue with four separate stages, dance studios, and extensive common areas spread across about 55,000 square feet (5,100 square meters) total. The spaces vary in size and support anything from intimate productions to larger staged performances.

The building was constructed in 1938 originally as a movie theater, following the trend of grand cinema palaces of that era. After decades of changing uses and major renovation work, it reopened in 2006 as a performing arts venue, completely transforming its original purpose.

The center hosts regular performances by local theater companies and ensembles that shape the cultural life of the H Street Corridor. Its four spaces are used by artists for dance productions and experimental work, making it a gathering place for the performing arts community.

Visiting is easiest Tuesday through Sunday when the box office operates during daytime hours, with longer hours on performance days. The venue is accessible for visitors with mobility needs and offers adapted seating in the performance spaces.

The building was originally designed as a grand movie theater in the 1930s style and retained much of that architectural character after its redesign. Visitors can still see the elegant details from that era in the performance spaces, which are now intentionally preserved.

Location: Washington, D.C.

Inception: 1938

Architects: John Jacob Zink

Official opening: 1938

Architectural style: Streamline Moderne

Website: http://atlasarts.org

GPS coordinates: 38.90001,-76.98740

Latest update: December 11, 2025 18:07