As the national center for the performing arts, the Kennedy Center is a living presidential memorial mandated by Congress to present and produce the finest performing arts from this country and abroad.
Since it opened in 1971, the Center has come to symbolize our nation's regard for the performing arts and to serve as a dynamic national resource contributing to the cultural enrichment of the United States. The Kennedy Center is the nation's foremost educator in the performing arts, seeding innovative national programs that reach teachers and students from pre-kindergarten through college in most of the 50 states. Through its producing efforts, commissioning programs, competitions, and apprenticeship and training programs, the Kennedy Center stimulates the creation of new arts and the development of new artists. The Center also recognizes American accomplishment in the performing arts by bringing the finest performing arts programs from all over the country to its stages in the nation's capital. Hundreds of talented Washington-area artists perform at the Kennedy Center each year as well, and the Center is the home of the National Symphony Orchestra, the American Film Institute, and the Washington Opera. The Kennedy Center also has the nation's largest half-price ticket program, made available each year to more than 100,000 eligible students, senior citizens, persons with permanent disabilities, enlisted military personnel, and others on fixed low incomes.
Presenting more performing arts than any other single institution in the United States, the Kennedy Center is the largest cultural facility of its kind, housing six theaters of varying sizes, designed to offer exceptionally fine acoustics, sight lines, and technical capabilities, with performances and other events offered every day of the year.