The Town Hall

Richard Strauss and Isaac Stern made their US debuts at Town Hall. Marian Anderson gave her first New York recital there. Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker debuted bebop to the world at Town Hall. Margaret Sanger was arrested for daring to speak to an audience of men and women about birth control. Bob Dylan performed his first major concert at Town Hall. America’s Town Meeting of the Air was one of the most celebrated and influential public discussion shows of the twentieth century, and featured guests as diverse as Eleanor Roosevelt, Langston Hughes, Richard Nixon, and Jackie Robinson. Town Hall continues to be a forum for the people—a welcome home of expression, education and exploration. In recent history, Town Hall welcomed Gilberto Gil, Joan Baez, Stephen Colbert, Jack White, Patti Smith, Larry David, Tig Notaro, Garrison Keillor, Ray LaMontagne, Ira Glass, and Neil deGrasse Tyson. We welcome the Prairie Home Companion, New York Comedy Festival, and TED Talks. We welcome debuts and old favorites, tributes and experiment, collaborations and conversation. Town Hall welcomes thousands of public school children every year who participate in the Town Hall Arts in Education program.

read more

Richard Strauss and Isaac Stern made their US debuts at Town Hall. Marian Anderson gave her first New York recital there. Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker debuted bebop to the world at Town Hall. Margaret Sanger was arrested for daring to speak to an audience of men and women about birth control. Bob Dylan performed his first major concert at Town Hall. America’s Town Meeting of the Air was one of the most celebrated and influential public discussion shows of the twentieth century, and featured guests as diverse as Eleanor Roosevelt, Langston Hughes, Richard Nixon, and Jackie Robinson. Town Hall continues to be a forum for the people—a welcome home of expression, education and exploration. In recent history, Town Hall welcomed Gilberto Gil, Joan Baez, Stephen Colbert, Jack White, Patti Smith, Larry David, Tig Notaro, Garrison Keillor, Ray LaMontagne, Ira Glass, and Neil deGrasse Tyson. We welcome the Prairie Home Companion, New York Comedy Festival, and TED Talks. We welcome debuts and old favorites, tributes and experiment, collaborations and conversation. Town Hall welcomes thousands of public school children every year who participate in the Town Hall Arts in Education program.

And we welcome you—the people of New York City, the people of the world—to the hall for all, The Town Hall.

show less