Von Braun Center

The Von Braun Center is downtown Huntsville’s main complex for live entertainment, conventions and community events, set on Monroe Street beside Big Spring Park and a short walk from the Huntsville Museum of Art. Named for rocket scientist Wernher von Braun, it brings several very different stages together under one roof, which makes it the starting point for much of the performing arts calendar in the Rocket City.

For arts audiences, the centerpiece is the Mark C. Smith Concert Hall, a formal theatre style hall with seating for up to about 1,955 guests. It hosts symphony orchestras, touring Broadway productions, national recording artists and local cultural showcases, and its acoustics and sightlines are designed to work from the front row to the balcony. The Huntsville Symphony Orchestra and many touring shows use this stage.

Mars Music Hall offers a very different experience: an open floor standing room space with a mezzanine balcony and capacity for up to about 1,300 people, built for rock shows, comedy and high energy concerts. The VBC Playhouse is the most intimate room, a flexible theatre with about 330 seats that hosts local theatre companies, lectures, concerts and smaller performances, supported by its own scene shop. Propst Arena handles larger concerts and sporting events, and exhibition halls and ballrooms host conventions, trade shows and community gatherings.

Dining is part of the experience. Rhythm on Monroe, the center’s restaurant, serves pre show meals, and bars operate during events in the music hall and other venues. Because the complex sits at the edge of downtown, many visitors combine a performance with dinner nearby or a walk through Big Spring Park.

The center publishes detailed guest information to help visitors plan. Doors for the concert hall and Mars Music Hall typically open one hour before showtime, or ninety minutes before for sold out shows, and arena doors open earlier. Security screening applies at entrances, and the entire facility is cashless, accepting cards and mobile payments only at parking, concessions and bars. ADA accessible seating, restrooms and parking are available across the venues.

The Von Braun Center opens for scheduled events rather than daily visits, and its online calendar lists upcoming concerts, shows and festivals along with ticket links. On site event parking in VBC lots and the covered South Hall garage is $15, and City of Huntsville lots nearby charge about $5, with accessible spaces in every parking area. The Saturn Ballroom lot off Clinton Avenue is convenient for the concert hall, Mars Music Hall and the Playhouse. Questions about tickets and events can be directed to the center by phone.