Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, Orlando

The Dr. Phillips Center is a two-block performing arts center in downtown Orlando, opened on Nov. 6, 2014 and run by a nonprofit 501(c) 3 organization (Orange County Government, 2015).

Orange County describes the Dr. Phillips Center as a public-private collaboration with Orange County, the City of Orlando, the State of Florida and generous donors (Orange County Government). The City of Orlando's 2022 indicators report on its Growth Management Plan lists the center's second phase, permit BLD2015-06168, at 445 S. Magnolia Ave. with 221,824 sq. ft. of civic space (City of Orlando 2022 indicators report).

The City of Orlando counts the center with the Kia Center and City Hall among the destinations that make nearby Church Street a gateway into downtown (City of Orlando Church Street Improvements), and Orange County held its 2015 State of the County address in the Walt Disney Theater on June 12, 2015, with more than 750 citizens attending, the largest State of the County audience in county history (Orange County Government).

The Dr. Phillips Center holds three theaters, the 2,700-seat Walt Disney Theater, the 300-seat Alexis & Jim Pugh Theater and the 1,700-seat Steinmetz Hall, plus Seneff Arts Plaza and rental spaces (Orange County Government, Orange County Government, 2017).

Steinmetz Hall was built as the future home of the Orlando Ballet, the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra and Opera Orlando, and the hall is named after Chuck Steinmetz and Margery Pabst Steinmetz, who committed $12 million toward the project in 2015 (Orange County Government, 2017). The second phase also added lobby space at the Orlando center (Orange County Government).

Orange County committed up to an estimated $163 million of Tourist Development Tax revenue toward building the Dr. Phillips Center, with the City of Orlando, the State of Florida and private donors as the other partners (Orange County Government, 2015).

The Orlando performing arts center was approved in 2007 as one project, but the Great Recession and related funding problems split it into two phases (Orange County Government, 2017). In September 2016 the Orange County mayor sent commissioners a letter supporting an additional $45 million of Tourist Development Tax money to finish the second and final stage, and the Board of County Commissioners unanimously approved that three-part proposal on November 1, 2016 (Orange County Government).

The Tourist Development Tax is a 6% tax on hotel stays and short-term rentals of less than six months, approved by Orange County voters and enacted by ordinance in 1978 (Orange County TDT task force). Orange County lists venues such as the Dr. Phillips Center among the tax's uses, and its collections reached $384.6 million in fiscal year 2024-25, the highest in its history (Orange County).

County money for the center is still on the Orange County agenda. In October 2023 the board reached consensus to table further conversations on Dr. Phillips Center projects until more information was gathered (Orange County Government, 2023). On June 16, 2026 the commissioners' agenda carried approval of FY26 Cultural Facilities funding recommendations and a funding recommendation for the Dr. Phillips Center Frontyard Holiday Festival (Orange County BCC agenda, June 16, 2026).

Official sources leave a gap: Orange County expected the second phase, centered on Steinmetz Hall, to open in 2020, and the hall was in use by September 27, 2023, when Orlando's mayor spoke there (Orange County Government, 2017, City of Orlando, 2023 State of Downtown).

The 2017 Orange County release says the additional $45 million allowed completion of Phase II of the Dr. Phillips Center, which had an expected grand opening of 2020 (Orange County Government). An earlier Orange County release from February 2015 had set the start of second phase construction for the first quarter of 2017 (Orange County Government, 2015), and the groundbreaking duly came in March 2017.

The City of Orlando's 2023 State of Downtown speech opened with a welcome to the Dr. Phillips Center and the new Steinmetz Hall, and noted that Architectural Digest had just recognized the Orlando hall as one of the eleven most beautiful theaters in the world (City of Orlando). Neither government page fetched for this guide states the hall's exact opening night, so dates quoted elsewhere should be checked with the center itself.

The City of Orlando names the City Commons Garage as the designated parking facility for the Dr. Phillips Center, with more parking at the Administration Garage and other downtown locations (City of Orlando Downtown Parking Guide).

The city's daytime garage rate of $2 per hour for the first four hours, $3 per hour after that and a $20 daily maximum is not valid at the City Commons parking garage (City of Orlando parking rates). Event parking rates at city garages and lots range from $10 to $20 depending on how close they are to the venue, and $20 to $30 at the ThreatLocker Garage and Grove Park Lot, and pre-purchased parking through Ticketmaster and ParkMobile can add fees (City of Orlando parking rates).

For a dinner before a show, city-operated garages offer a diner's rate for cars that enter between 6:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m., and the city suggests asking the restaurant in advance whether it validates (City of Orlando Downtown Parking Guide). Downtown on-street meters are free from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. and all day on Sundays and city holidays (City of Orlando parking rates).

Yes: all three downtown Orlando LYMMO lines, the Orange, Grapefruit and Lime lines, list the Dr. Phillips Center among their stops (LYNX LYMMO page).

The LYMMO Orange and Grapefruit lines run Monday to Friday from 6:00 a.m. to 8:25 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 8:00 a.m. to 8:25 p.m., and the hours may be extended for special events (LYNX LYMMO page). The Grapefruit Line links the Dr. Phillips Center with Lake Eola, the Kia Center, SunRail and Inter & Co Stadium, while the Lime Line runs only on weekdays from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. (LYNX LYMMO page). Scheduled Orange and Grapefruit service ends at 8:25 p.m., so a show that lets out later needs another ride home unless LYNX extends hours for that event (LYNX LYMMO hours).

Last verified: October 18, 2026, against Orange County newsroom releases and agendas, City of Orlando parking and planning pages, and LYMMO schedules.