Plan Your Day At the Mountain Play
Get ready for your day of unplugged theatre, hiking, and enjoying every minute in a 3750-seat amphitheatre on the side of Mount Tamalpais. There are so many ways to enjoy our festival-like event!
Seating at Cushing Memorial Amphitheatre
Most of the ampitheatre is General Seating (i.e., First Come, First Served, or Unassigned): Claim Your Rocks for they day! The Ampitheatre Opens at 9 am each performance day.
Its “On The ROCKS!” The stone seats are a special feature of the Amphitheatre. Bring a blanket or a cushion, sit right on the rocks, or rent a stadium seat and enjoy our awesome serpentine stones while you watch the show.
Remember to Bring These With You
Because the Mountain Play experience is much more than a day at the theatre, we’ll help you plan it out.
Please Do Not Bring –
Food & Drinks
You can pack a gourmet picnic, choose the Dining in the Woods experience before walking to your seats, or enjoy the food and drink options from our Theatre Village
On Sale at the Theatre
If you’d like to take a relaxing ride up and not carry a cooler, the following options are available in the Theatre Village Area:
- Mountain Play Café serves a selection of BBQ items from Pitmaster Forrest Murray, Jr.
- Mill Valley Rotary Club offers hot beverages & cold beverages, ice cream desserts, and snacks for your picnic. Proceeds go toward the Rotary’s selected charity.
- Sno-cones enjoy an icy sno-cone treat and support the Mountain Play (Cash Only)
- Mountain Play Tamalpais Tavern offers refreshing adult libations. Our friends from Lagunitas Brewery Company donate these beverages. All proceeds benefit the Mountain Play Association. (Cash or Credit)
DINING IN THE WOODS – with Patron Circle Tickets
Enjoy the rustic elegance of our intimate dining experience in a private grove – an excellent benefit of our Patron Circle Reserved Seating Package. Preview the 2024 Menu Here.
Bring Your Own Picnic
There’s nothing like a picnic on a mountaintop! Start your picnic tradition.
Please drink responsibly and keep hydrated. Consider packing a State Park-friendly picnic: low waste and green!
PICNIC CONTEST: Closing Day- Special Judge to be Announced!
Festival Activities
There’s plenty to do and see once you arrive on the Mountain!
Visit Vendors & Booths! – You can get sno-cones to beat the heat, a Mountain Play T-shirt to remember the experience, and much more!
Previous Vendors have included: Friends of Mount Tamalpais, Conservation Corps North Bay, & Stephan Hill Jewelers.
Look Out for our Raffle Sellers and the list of Prizes! – Each Raffle ticket purchase supports Mountain Play & our Community Partner of the day. Prize Drawing on Closing Day!
Hiking – Check out the Friends of Mt. Tamalpais booth to help find you the best hiking around the amphitheatre.
Watch Pre-Show Entertainment – 12:30 on the stage, listen to the sounds of local artists, and enjoy the show before the show!
Observing the Wildlife & The View – Whether the lizards scurrying between the seats or the birds flying overhead, there are plenty of non-human friends to see before the show. Speaking of seeing, on clear days, several Bay Area Landmarks are visible from your seats! See if you can spot your home from up there.
Improving Access
American Sign Language Interpretation
ASL Interpretation for Kinky Boots June 8 and 9th performances.
Golf Cart Shuttle
Once at the front gate of the Sidney B. Cushing Memorial Amphitheatre, we will have a golf cart available between 10:00 A.M. and 2:00 P.M. It shuttles patrons with physical limitations to the head a short flat trail that leads to the wheelchair platform or nearby seating. Even if you are not in a wheelchair but need some help getting around, this is a great option. You will be taken to the middle of the theatre, making access to seating much easier.
After the performance, the Golf Cart Shuttle, patrons can be driven back from the trailhead to the front gate. From there, patrons are either picked up by their ride or board the bus home. Depending on the number of patrons wanting a ride, there can be a bit of a wait. Patience is appreciated.
No reservations are required for Golf Cart Transportation. It is available upon request on the day of the performance, with special thanks to the Kaliski family and Harbor Point Tennis Club!
Platform Seating Section
For guests in a wheelchair or who need more accessible seating, we reserve seating on a shaded platform. It can seat up to 8 wheelchairs with one companion each for every performance. Due to limited space, platform seating is available only for guests with reduced mobility and one companion. Additional members of the party can find seating nearby.
We also have seating for guests with reduced mobility, not in a wheelchair. This seating section is situated directly below the platform, also in the shade. Space is limited in this row and is only available by reservation or for medical emergencies.
Reservations are made on a first-come, first-served basis and must be made before the Friday at 5 P.M. of each performance weekend.
Please call (415) 383-1100 to make your reservation.
Altered Vehicle Parking
Madrone Grove parking is only available to wheelchair users who drive their own specially equipped/altered vehicles and for vans carrying multiple wheelchair patrons. This small lot is located inside the theater and is close to the wheelchair platform. We only have space for fewer than six vehicles, and it is accessible only to patrons who have received a Mountain Play parking permit. Please call to make a reservation early in the season if you need to use these parking spots.
For regular ADA Accessible Parking – Please Call 415 383-1100 for a reserved space in the Rock Spring Lot details about drop off and pick up can be discussed then.
Safety Protocols
Infection Prevention
We are lucky to perform outdoors, where we don’t have to worry about ventilation for our audience or staff.
Protocols for other circumstances. These guidelines are for the safety of our audiences, volunteers, and employees. Thank you for your continued understanding.
Currently – The Mountain Play updates all COVID protocols based on current local, state, federal, and CDC Guidelines and may continue to change at any time. For last-minute performance updates, check the home page before leaving your home on the day of the show.