Renovating Jones Hall:
Exciting Updates to A Beloved Houston Landmark
One of the most distinctive edifices in the downtown Houston landscape, Jones Hall is a beloved landmark to generations of Houston concert-goers, and a landmark worth preserving. Over the past three summers, this cherished theater has been undergoing extensive renovations. And there’s much more to come.
Jones Hall’s iconic exterior profile remains intact, while the interior is being redesigned to significantly enhance the concert-going experience.
The recently installed vertical aisles and the already dramatically improved acoustics are just the beginning.
Further substantial enhancement of acoustics in the hall are planned, to give you the best, most natural, and excellent audial experience of your Houston Symphony in concert.
At the beginning of the 2023–24 Season, there were new seats in the auditorium, a new orchestra shell, and a sizeable increase to the number of bathroom facilities on the Hall’s courtyard level. The lobby has been reconfigured to create more spaces for patrons to enjoy Jones Hall, including expansion and enhancement of the green room. Restroom access has been improved, with a new, wider staircase that goes directly from the Louisiana Street lobby to the courtyard men’s and women’s lounges.
Technical and infrastructure improvements backstage, include new, modernized stage automation control, and the introduction of fiber networks, ushering in a new era for Jones Hall of state-of-the-art audio and visual capabilities for broadcasting, livestreaming, and stage effects.
ADA improvements to the auditorium and to the Texas Avenue entrance will make the Hall more accessible than it has ever been, including more seats for those in wheelchairs, improved cross-hall access, and more access points from Texas Avenue to reduce elevator usage.
During the summer of 2025, we will make additional improvements to the Hall. Summer 2024 saw the completion of acoustic improvements to the auditorium with the installation of a forestage reflector. This ceiling piece will be above the downstage area, reinforcing sound from the violins, cellos, basses, and soloists during Houston Symphony performances.
During the summer of 2025, we will make additional improvements to the Hall. Summer 2024 saw the completion of acoustic improvements to the auditorium with the installation of a forestage reflector. This ceiling piece will be above the downstage area, reinforcing sound from the violins, cellos, basses, and soloists during Houston Symphony performances.
Jones Hall Renovation FAQs
What updates will I notice?
- From the 2023–24 Season, patrons can find brand new seats, along with an increased number of restroom facilities on the courtyard level
- Acoustic updates have been completed at the start of our 2024-25 season with the installation of the forestage reflector
- Expansion and enhancement of the green room
- State-of-the-art audio and visual capabilities
What other changes can I expect?
Future updates include:
- Accessibility improvements to the auditorium and the Texas Avenue entrance
- Improvements to backstage spaces to better support our musicians
What’s the timeline?
- Further renovations will be carried out in the summers of 2025. The majority of renovation work will be done during summers to cause minimal disruption to your concert experience from September to May.
New Seats, New Numbers
- The new auditorium seats will use a new numbering system for the orchestra level. On the Louisiana Street side, all seats will have odd numbers. On the Texas Avenue side, all seats will have even numbers. In the center-orchestra section, seating will start with number 101.
Thank You To Our Donors
$1 Million and More
An Anonymous Friend of Jones Hall
The City of Houston / Houston First Corporation
The Robert and Jane Cizik Family
Janet F. Clark
ConocoPhillips
The Cullen Foundation
Nancy and Charles Davidson
The Elkins Foundation
Houston Endowment
Barbara and Pat McCelvey
The Shirley and David Toomim Family
The Wortham Foundation, Inc.
$100,000 to $1 Million
Mr. & Mrs. J. Stephen Marks
Beverly and James Postl
Vivian L. Smith Foundation
Support The Renovation:
If you are interested in supporting the renovation of Jones Hall, please contact Christine Ann Stevens at 713.337.8521 or Kimberly Sterling at 713.807.8661.
Now You Can Sponsor A Seat in the Renewed Jones Hall. Your contribution is tax-deductible, and you can sponsor a seat for yourself or make it a gift for someone you love. Get started in the link below