Four theaters, five galleries.
Downtown Mesa.
Mesa Arts Center calls itself Arizona's largest arts center: four theaters, a free contemporary art museum and 14 art studios on seven acres at Main and Center, with the light rail across the street. Parking, the box office, the museum, classes and the season, from the center and the City of Mesa.
Mesa Arts Center, Main Street
- Where it is.One E. Main St., Mesa, 85201, at the southeast corner of Main and Center streets. Box office: 480-644-6500. Plan a visit
- Who runs it.Owned and operated by the City of Mesa. About · City of Mesa
- How it started.Funded in part by a 1998 quality-of-life bond, with ground broken May 20, 2002, and doors open in spring 2005. Three buildings, 212,775 square feet, on seven acres, designed by BOORA Architects with DWL Architects & Planners. The center counts more than 425,000 visits a year. History · Fact sheet
- The theaters.Tom and Janet Ikeda Theater, 1,570 seats; Virginia G. Piper Repertory Theater, 550; Nesbitt/Elliott Playhouse, 200; and the Anita Cox Farnsworth Studio Theater. FAQs
Free art and classes
- Mesa Contemporary Arts Museum.Free, in five galleries. Tuesday to Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday noon to 5 p.m., closed Monday, with late hours to 10 p.m. on the second Friday and to 8 p.m. on the third Thursday. Museum
- Art After Dark.Free evenings at the museum from September 11, 2026 through June 17, 2027. Calendar
- Studios and classes.Adult and youth classes in ceramics; drawing, painting and printmaking; glass, from flameworking and glassblowing to fusing and stained glass; jewelry and metals; movement; photography; metal sculpture; and literary and media arts. Most glass classes are 16 and up. Theater classes are not offered right now. Art studios
Parking and the train
- Parking.The South Lot and the Sirrine Street Garage, 30 S. Sirrine St., are $10, card or cash. The garage is open to the public after 5 p.m. on weekdays and all day on weekends, and it has no elevator. The City of Mesa and the Downtown Mesa Association manage parking. Students park free in the open lot at the northeast corner of Center Street and 1st Avenue and on nearby streets. Parking · FAQs
- Accessible parking.First come, first served, at more than three times the ADA minimum.
- Light rail.The Valley Metro stop at Center and Main is directly across from the center. Maricopa County's Valley Metro map lists Center / Main St at 26 E. Main St. Plan a visit
Box office, security and help
- Box office.Tuesday to Saturday, noon to 5 p.m., closed Sunday and Monday. 480-644-6500.
- Security.All guests and items are subject to search. No bag size limit is published.
- Concessions.Open an hour before showtime until the end of intermission.
- Accessibility.Assisted listening, sensory kits, family restrooms and a Mamava lactation pod. The accessibility coordinator is at 480-644-6607, and the security escort line is 480-644-6630. FAQs
Coming up in 2026-27
- November and December 2026.An Evening of Alton Brown (November 17), The Wiz (November 20 to 22), Mannheim Steamroller Christmas (November 28 and 29), Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass (December 6), Ballet Etudes' The Nutcracker (December 12 to 20) and Dave Koz and Friends Christmas (December 16, 7:30 p.m., Ikeda Theater). Season brochure · Dave Koz
- January and February 2027.Josh Gates Live! (January 8), Pink Martini (January 21), Mrs. Doubtfire (February 5 to 7), An Evening with Itzhak Perlman (February 13) and Jazz at Lincoln Center with Wynton Marsalis (February 27).
- March to May 2027.Stomp (March 12 to 14), ALT Fest, free, Art + Light + Technology (March 19, 6 to 10 p.m.), Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone in Concert (April 10 and 11), Stanley Clarke and Hiromi (April 16) and Waitress (May 21 to 23).
Where it sits
The outlined parcels are the Maricopa County Assessor's parcels at 1 E. Main St., all owned by the City of Mesa. Pin 1 is the Center / Main St station from Maricopa County's Valley Metro map layer. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Mesa Arts Center, answered
Is parking free at Mesa Arts Center?
No. The South Lot and the Sirrine Street Garage are $10, card or cash. Students park free in the open lot at the northeast corner of Center Street and 1st Avenue and on nearby streets.
Is the Mesa Contemporary Arts Museum free?
Yes. Admission to Mesa Contemporary Arts Museum is free.
What are the Mesa Contemporary Arts Museum hours?
Tuesday to Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday noon to 5 p.m., closed Monday. It stays open to 10 p.m. on the second Friday and to 8 p.m. on the third Thursday.
What are the Mesa Arts Center box office hours?
Tuesday to Saturday, noon to 5 p.m., closed Sunday and Monday. The phone is 480-644-6500.
How many theaters does Mesa Arts Center have?
Four: the Tom and Janet Ikeda Theater, the Virginia G. Piper Repertory Theater, the Nesbitt/Elliott Playhouse and the Anita Cox Farnsworth Studio Theater.
How many seats are in the Ikeda Theater?
1,570.
Can you take the light rail to Mesa Arts Center?
Yes. The Valley Metro stop at Center Street and Main Street is directly across from the center.
When did Mesa Arts Center open?
2005. Ground was broken on May 20, 2002.
Who owns Mesa Arts Center?
The City of Mesa owns and operates it.
What classes does Mesa Arts Center offer?
Adult and youth classes in ceramics, drawing, painting and printmaking, glass, jewelry and metals, movement, photography, metal sculpture, and literary and media arts. Most glass classes are for ages 16 and up.
When is the Sirrine Street Garage open to the public?
After 5 p.m. on weekdays and all day on weekends. It has no elevator.
Is there a bag policy at Mesa Arts Center?
All guests and items are subject to search. No bag size limit is published.
Is ALT Fest free?
Yes. The 2027 ALT Fest, Art + Light + Technology, is March 19, 2027, from 6 to 10 p.m.
Downtown Mesa is closer than you think
If living near Main Street, the light rail and downtown Mesa matters to you, I can walk you through the neighborhoods that put you there.
Checked 28 October 2026, from Mesa Arts Center unless named. Address, box office, light rail and security: plan a visit. Ownership and scale: about and the City of Mesa. Opening, size and architects: history and the fact sheet. Theaters, box office, student parking, concessions and accessibility: FAQs. Studios: art studio info. Museum: about the museum. Parking: parking update. Season: the 2026-27 season brochure, the calendar and the Dave Koz show page. Map: Maricopa County Assessor parcels and Maricopa County's Valley Metro map layer. Left off: the Studio Theater seat count (98 in the FAQs, 99 on the fact sheet), the date of the Merry Main Street pop-up (two pages differ), and the Mesa Arts Festival and Spark! (neither appears on a current center page). No photo yet: no public domain or CC0 image of the center at full width was found; the monthly photo lookout keeps looking. The questions answered are ones people search on Google, each answered only from the pages above.