Segerstrom Center for the Arts
A major performing arts campus in Costa Mesa, California, presenting theater, music, dance, education programs, and cultural events.
Last updated August 24, 2026
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Overview
Segerstrom Center for the Arts is a performing arts complex in Costa Mesa, California, serving as one of the principal cultural institutions in Orange County. The campus originally opened in 1986 as the Orange County Performing Arts Center. Its first facilities included Segerstrom Hall and the Judy Morr Theater, designed by architect Charles Lawrence. The institution was later renamed Segerstrom Center for the Arts in recognition of the Segerstrom family and the family’s role in the development and support of the complex. The Center combines presenting, performance, education, and community-oriented functions. Its programming spans Broadway musicals, ballet, theater, classical music, jazz, cabaret, concerts, special events, and other live productions. The campus is also the artistic home of three resident organizations: Pacific Symphony, the Philharmonic Society of Orange County, and Pacific Chorale. These resident companies give the Center a role not only as a rental or touring venue, but also as a continuing base for orchestral, choral, and classical-music activity in the region. A major expansion was completed in 2006. The additions included the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, the Samueli Theater, and the Lawrence and Kristina Dodge Education Center. The expansion was designed by architect Cesar Pelli. The 1,704-seat Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall is configured as a theater-in-the-round and houses the William J. Gillespie Concert Organ, a C. B. Fisk instrument with 4,322 pipes and 75 stops. The 600-seat Samueli Theater is a flexible space used for jazz, cabaret, theater, and special events. The Education Center added dedicated areas for instruction and smaller-scale performances. The largest venue on the campus is Segerstrom Hall, a 2,994-seat opera-house-style theater. It is used for large productions such as Broadway touring shows, ballet, and other major performances. The Judy Morr Theater, a 250-seat venue in the Center for Dance and Innovation, is used primarily for ballet-company rehearsals and serves as the principal studio for the American Ballet Theatre’s William J. Gillespie School. The campus also includes the Studio Performance Space, Boeing Education Lab, cafés, donor rooms, and the School of Dance and Music for Children with Disabilities. The public-facing environment expanded further with Julianne and George Argyros Plaza, a 46,000-square-foot outdoor area featuring restaurants, public seating, picnic areas, and a permanent stage. The plaza incorporates Connector, a large weathered-steel sculpture by Richard Serra commissioned by Henry Segerstrom as a visual focal point for the expanded campus. The Center’s site is also associated with other major cultural institutions. South Coast Repertory, a Tony Award-winning theater company known for producing new plays, operates on the campus. The Orange County Museum of Art constructed a new primary facility there after breaking ground in 2019; the museum opened the building in October 2022. The Center’s brand therefore represents a broad cultural destination rather than a single performance company. Its identity is built around architectural venues, resident artistic organizations, touring productions, arts education, public space, and partnerships with neighboring institutions. Its principal geographic role is regional, while its programming and resident companies connect it to national touring and professional performing-arts networks.
History
Segerstrom Center for the Arts opened in Costa Mesa in 1986 under the name Orange County Performing Arts Center. The original complex was designed by Charles Lawrence and included Segerstrom Hall and the Judy Morr Theater. From its beginning, the institution was conceived as a substantial performing-arts destination for Orange County, providing purpose-built facilities for large-scale theater, dance, concerts, and related cultural activity. Segerstrom Hall became the campus’s principal large auditorium. With 2,994 seats and an opera-house-style configuration, it is suited to Broadway musicals, ballet, touring productions, and other performances requiring a large audience capacity. The Judy Morr Theater provides a smaller venue and has a particular connection to dance, serving mainly as a rehearsal facility for ballet and as the primary studio for the American Ballet Theatre’s William J. Gillespie School. The institution’s later development was marked by a major campus expansion completed in 2006. The additions were designed by Cesar Pelli and introduced the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, the Samueli Theater, and the Lawrence and Kristina Dodge Education Center. The concert hall seats 1,704 and uses a theater-in-the-round arrangement. It is home to the William J. Gillespie Concert Organ, a C. B. Fisk instrument containing 4,322 pipes and 75 stops. The 600-seat Samueli Theater was designed as a flexible venue for jazz, cabaret, theater, and special events. The Education Center created dedicated infrastructure for teaching, workshops, and smaller performances. The Center was renamed Segerstrom Center for the Arts, reflecting the Segerstrom family’s connection with the campus. The expanded institution developed into a multi-use cultural campus rather than a single auditorium. Its resident artistic organizations include Pacific Symphony, the Philharmonic Society of Orange County, and Pacific Chorale. Their presence supports recurring orchestral, choral, and presenting activity and gives the Center a continuing artistic identity beyond individual touring engagements. The campus also expanded its public realm. Julianne and George Argyros Plaza provides approximately 46,000 square feet of outdoor space with restaurants, seating, picnic areas, and a permanent stage. The plaza’s visual centerpiece is Connector, a weathered-steel sculpture by Richard Serra. Henry Segerstrom commissioned the work in connection with the expanded campus; the sculpture rises 65 feet and weighs approximately 360 tons. Education and access are central parts of the Center’s broader function. In addition to the Education Center, the campus includes the School of Dance and Music for Children with Disabilities, the American Ballet Theatre’s William J. Gillespie School, and educational spaces such as the Studio Performance Space and Boeing Education Lab. Food-service and hospitality facilities, including Leatherby’s Café Rouge, George’s Café, and Plaza Cafe, complement the performance venues and help make the complex a destination for audiences before and after events. The surrounding campus has become a broader arts district. South Coast Repertory, a Tony Award-winning theater company recognized for new-play production, is located at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts campus. The Orange County Museum of Art developed a new primary facility there, breaking ground in September 2019 and completing the building’s structural topping-out in October 2020. The museum opened the new facility on October 8, 2022. Today, Segerstrom Center for the Arts operates as a regional performing-arts anchor with national-scale venues, resident companies, education programs, public outdoor space, and links to neighboring cultural organizations. Its history is defined by the progression from a single performing-arts center to a multi-institution campus serving theater, music, dance, visual arts, learning, and community use.
- 2022
Orange County Museum of Art opens its new building
[1]The Orange County Museum of Art opens its new primary facility on the Segerstrom Center for the Arts campus.
- 2020
Orange County Museum of Art building is topped out
[1]The new Orange County Museum of Art building reaches its topping-out stage, marked by a virtual ceremony.
- 2019
Orange County Museum of Art breaks ground on a new campus facility
[1]The Orange County Museum of Art begins construction of a new 53,000-square-foot primary facility at the Segerstrom campus.
- 2006
Major campus expansion is completed
[1]The Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, Samueli Theater, and Lawrence and Kristina Dodge Education Center open as part of an expansion designed by Cesar Pelli.
- 2006
Connector sculpture commissioned for the expanded campus
[1]Richard Serra’s Connector, a 65-foot weathered-steel sculpture, is commissioned as a focal point for the expanded Center.
- 1986
Original performing-arts complex opens
[1]The complex opens in Costa Mesa as the Orange County Performing Arts Center, with Segerstrom Hall and the Judy Morr Theater designed by Charles Lawrence.
Products and positioning
A regional cultural anchor and multi-venue performing-arts destination combining major touring productions, resident companies, education, public programming, and arts-related institutions on one campus.
Large performing-arts venue · 1986
Segerstrom Hall
The campus’s largest venue, Segerstrom Hall is a 2,994-seat, opera-house-style theater. It is used for Broadway musicals, ballet, touring productions, and other large-scale performances requiring substantial audience capacity.
Concert hall · 2006
Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall
Opened in the 2006 expansion, this 1,704-seat theater-in-the-round is a principal home for concert programming and the William J. Gillespie Concert Organ. The hall was designed by Cesar Pelli.
Flexible performance venue · 2006
Samueli Theater
A 600-seat venue designed for adaptable use, the Samueli Theater accommodates jazz, cabaret, theater, special events, and other productions that benefit from a more intimate and flexible setting.
Dance and studio theater · 1986
Judy Morr Theater
The 250-seat Judy Morr Theater is located in the Center for Dance and Innovation. It is used primarily for ballet-company rehearsals and serves as the principal studio for the American Ballet Theatre’s William J. Gillespie School.
Arts education facility · 2006
Lawrence and Kristina Dodge Education Center
The Education Center supports instruction, workshops, and smaller-scale performances. Its facilities include the Studio Performance Space and Boeing Education Lab, and it is connected with the Center’s dance, music, and accessibility-focused educational activities.
Public outdoor arts space
Julianne and George Argyros Plaza
A roughly 46,000-square-foot public plaza with restaurants, seating, picnic areas, and a permanent stage. It extends the Center’s programming and visitor experience beyond enclosed theaters.
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