Lincoln Center, on Manhattan's Upper West Side, has a KultureCity Sensory Room in the LeFrak Lobby of David Geffen Hall, open in regular lobby hours, and lends KultureCity sensory bags, noise-reducing headphones, fidgets and earplugs. Its Relaxed Performances keep the house from going fully dark, welcome moving and making noise, and have a Chill Out Space, with family shows from December 5, 2026, plus New York City Ballet's Sensory-Friendly Nutcracker on January 3, 2027.
Sensory supports. Sensory Room in Geffen Hall, relaxed family shows.
Hours
David Geffen Hall's Welcome Center and LeFrak Lobby, where the Sensory Room is: Monday to Saturday 10 am to 6 pm and Sunday noon to 6 pm, and through the end of a performance on show days. Box Office: Monday to Saturday 10 am to 6 pm and Sunday noon to 6 pm, and open 30 minutes after the start of any performance. CenterCharge by phone: Monday to Friday 10 am to 6 pm.
David Geffen Hall (Sensory Room), 10 Lincoln Center Plaza, New York, NY 10023. Shows are in several buildings on the campus; check your event's venue.
“Visit the LeFrak Lobby in David Geffen Hall to use our Sensory Room, a space designed to provide sensory relief though adjustable lighting, calming visual and tactile elements and support materials like bean bags, noise-reducing fidgets and headphones. Designed for individuals and their families to use for 10-15 minutes at a time, this space is open to guests, artists and staff during regular lobby hours. KultureCity sensory bags are available to borrow.”
“Noise-reducing headphones, fidgets and earplugs available to borrow from Guest Experience, located next to Door 4 A-E on the Grand Promenade.”
“Relaxed Performances are open to all, and especially welcoming for people with autism, sensory and communication disorders or learning disabilities. The artistic integrity of the piece remains unchanged, however modifications to social and sensory environment may be made.”
“Chill Out Space for guests to take a break and rejoin performance when ready”
Lincoln Center's Relaxed Performances list what to expect: guests can enter and leave throughout, vocalize or move, fellow audience members are asked to make a no-shushing zone, house lights are adjusted so the venue is never fully dark, bright lights, loud noises and surprises are described in advance, a visual guide is shared before the event, and staff and artists are trained in access and inclusion.
KultureCity places the Sensory Room in the LeFrak Lobby, behind the Media Wall.
The Relaxed Performances list also includes family concerts by the New York Philharmonic (Very Young People's and Young People's Concerts), Chamber Music Society (CMS Kids), Jazz at Lincoln Center (a Family Concert) and the Met Opera's holiday The Magic Flute; each links to that company's own page for tickets and details.
The KultureCity Sensory Room is in the LeFrak Lobby of David Geffen Hall, open to guests during regular lobby hours, for 10 to 15 minutes at a time, with adjustable lighting, bean bags, fidgets and headphones.
KultureCity sensory bags are available to borrow, and Guest Experience lends noise-reducing headphones, fidgets and earplugs next to Door 4 A-E on the Grand Promenade.
Relaxed Performances keep the house lights from going fully dark, let you come and go, move and vocalize, and have a Chill Out Space; family relaxed shows run from December 5, 2026, and New York City Ballet's Sensory-Friendly Nutcracker is January 3, 2027.
KultureCity Sensory Room, LeFrak Lobby, David Geffen Hallquiet zone
The Chill Out Space at Relaxed Performancesquiet zone
Tickets for Lincoln Center Presents relaxed shows: book online from the event's page, call CenterCharge at 212-721-6500 (Monday to Friday, 10 am to 6 pm), or buy in person at a Lincoln Center box office. Many are free or Choose-What-You-Pay; for sold-out shows, a day-of line forms at the box office before showtime, first come, first served, and admission is not guaranteed.
New York City Ballet: its Sensory-Friendly Performances are for ages 5 and up and are booked on nycballet.com, by phone at 212-496-0600 or at the box office. NYCB says all sales are final with no refunds, and every patron, including small children sitting in laps, needs a ticket.
Big Umbrella Festival: from April 2 to 24, 2027, Lincoln Center's festival of performances, workshops, relaxed spaces and interactive experiences for neurodivergent audiences and their families returns; the program will be announced later, and you can sign up for reminders on the festival page.
Access Reps: guests who request extra assistance can have an Access Rep meet them on arrival, escort them, check in at intermission and help them leave, at David Geffen Hall, Alice Tully Hall, the Clark Studio Theater, Samuel Rehearsal Studio, the Stanley Kaplan Penthouse and outdoor venues. Ask when you buy through the Lincoln Center Box Office or CenterCharge, or email guestexperience@lincolncenter.org if you already have tickets, at least 7 business days before; it depends on staff availability.
Getting there: reserve parking on Lincoln Center's parking reservations site. David Geffen Hall's accessible entrance is from Josie Robertson Plaza; to reach the plaza, take the ramp next to the main staircase along Columbus Avenue, or the elevator by the Lincoln Center Theater on 65th Street. The Access-A-Ride drop-off is 20 Lincoln Center Plaza, on Columbus between 63rd and 64th Streets, and vehicle drop-off is through the parking garage at 144 West 65th Street, with an elevator up to the plaza.
Inside David Geffen Hall: accessible restrooms on every level, companion restrooms on the orchestra level and all tiers, and infant changing tables at every level. Concessions on the orchestra and tiers are for ticket holders before the show and at intermission.
Call
212-875-5375Access Team: specific access needs, accommodations and the Relaxed Performances series212-721-6500CenterCharge: Lincoln Center Presents tickets, Monday to Friday 10 am to 6 pm212-875-5456Guest Experience: general inquiries212-496-0600New York City Ballet tickets, including Sensory-Friendly Performances
