The Muny — Attraction in St. Louis

Yesterday was opening night for "The Fiddler On the Roof," a fun, family-friendly show that took us on a thrilling emotional roller coaster ride. Since it was on a Friday night with perfect weather, we thought we might not get seats in the free section, so we arrived early at 6:30pm. The parking lot was open early, but the gate to the free seats was open at 7 pm.

Standing in line wasn’t bad. There are a few places to sit here and there. The theatre free seats did fill up quickly, but even after the play started, there were still open seats here and there. If you have short legs, the front row of this section will probably have several empty spots, but it was too little leg room for most in our group. Bring binoculars if you have them. Also, use the restroom early, ladies. The line gets very long right before the show.

We brought a picnic lunch that we saved for after we found our seats. There's plenty of time to enjoy your meal when you arrive early. They even have cup holders!

If you are an extra large person, be aware that the seats will fit you, but it will be a snug fit. I often can't fit in amusement park rides (I'm size 3X), but I fit in these seats. The space under the seats is big enough for a soft-sided cooler 12" x 12" x 12" or smaller, but there was one empty seat between my neighbor and me, so I didn't need to use that space.

One more bit of advice, try to leave the parking lot in a different route than everyone else. It may be "the long way out," but you will not be sitting for nearly an hour waiting on everyone else to exit.

God bless whomever made it possible for people like us with tight budgets to still be able to see a play❣️ You are both kind and generous. ❤️ I...

The Muny offers an outdoor theater experience like none other that I've seen outside of Disney World. The level of production is top-notch, professional actors, and supreme audio and lighting make for an enjoyable evening in St. Louis.

For those hot nights, there are massive fans to cool the audience, but they are shut off during showtime. I LOVE that free seating is offered at The Muny. I've seen such good productions for absolutely nothing my whole life. Free seats are at the back, with the worst view (only because it's so far away from the stage). We paid $20 per ticket for our most recent visit, but the seats were only maybe five rows in front of the free section. The only "downside" to the free seats is that guests must get in line very early to ensure they get a seat. But that can just mean you get to enjoy a picnic in Forest Park (in line).

My only complaint is the arrangement the seats are situated. I had to peak around the head of the person in front of me all night long because seats are situated one behind another. Not sure why the architects didn't plan for that and stagger the seating.

In addition to all the fun one can have at The Muny, the building itself was created for the 1904 World's Fair. It is absolutely stunning. It's not unpopular for wedding, prom, and senior photos to be taken here. I've seen Annie, Beauty and the Beast, Peter Pan, Newsies, Tarzan, Mary Poppins, Mamma Mia, and so many more productions here and plan to keep attending for...

The Muny is unique in the entire world. Largest outdoor theatre. Wide range of ticket options, including 1500 free seats (last 7 rows). The free seats are wonderful. The sound is great back there. If you want to see faces close up, you need binoculars, but that's true of any of the paid seats beyond the A (very front) section, as well. The advantage of the free seats is that you can easily alter your plans if the weather turns disagreeable. Just go on a different night. Not so easy if you have reserved seats. To sit in the free seats, line up at the Lichtenstein Plaza by the upper Muny lot. Gates to the plaza open at 6:00. Gates to the rear theatre concourse and the free section open at 7:00. Shows begin at 8:15. Of course, if you aren't picky about where you sit, getting there early usually isn't necessary. I love to arrive early to get near the front of the line so that I can lay claim to the particular seats we prefer. I take a camp stool and a book with me to pass the time. Occasionally I hardly read the book at all, because sometimes I meet interesting people with common interests in the Muny. I've had many fun conversations with other Muny goers, duscussing shows we've seen. (I love to tell the story of how "Funny Girl" was rewritten especially for The Muny because the one and only Harve Presnell was playing Nicky Arnstein. If Harve was in the show, his magnificent singing voice was an...