This place is a hidden gem in Bellingham. The inside is very ornate and lavish. We came here for a weekend show and had a wonderful time. This theater does not have a dedicated parking lot, but there are multiple private lots around the proximity. read more

Mount Baker Theatre - Performing Arts Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

We went to this lovely theater to see David Sedaris last night. It's surprisingly spacious and very beautiful. They have wine and snacks and had a really nice table of books to buy as provided by the local bookshops. It was incredibly clean and well-maintained, which isn't something you always see in old theaters. The beverage cups maybe look a little too close to medical sample cups, but everything else was perfect. read more

Mount Baker Theatre - Gorgeous old theater. - Performing Arts Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

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Excellent performances and a wide variety of shows. AND we are helping preserve history by supporting this theater. It doesn't get any better than this. The seats are fairly comfortable and it's normally quite comfortable. However, it's on the cool side. read more

While this has a very unassuming exterior (even though I think it's fantastic) this place is incredibly well-kept, maintained in a style that is respectful of the vintage in which most of these theatres were in their prime. I went there to view a silent movie (three of them actually). I have to say the seats were plenty comfortable, the balcony is the premium place to view because the organ sounds really nice in the room up above. The slide show with the sayings as though they were from that period were fantastic, definitely shared some of those with my friends. I didn't have a chance to sample any of the food/drink while there, we ate ahead of time. The staff was friendly, easy peasy bag check at the door and volunteer ushers were quick to help us find our seats. I'll want to bring some out of town friends here the next time they're in town if there's a silent movie playing. I won't review the organist here since this is mostly about the theatre itself. But yes, please do come and visit this GEM of the northwest. read more

Mount Baker Theatre - Exterior of the building and tower. - Performing Arts Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

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In short: If you're into the show they booked, just come check it out. They do everything right. In long: We checked out Steve Earle and Channing Wilson on a double bill on a Friday night. Both playing solo acoustic sets. Everything about it was amazing. We found parking on the street next to the theater 40 minutes before showtime. Will we all always be this lucky? No. And maybe it biased us to like the place even more, but generally speaking, you can probably park right nearby for under $20 on show night. There's a solid restaurant/bar under the same roof, where we had wine and a snack. We grabbed our tickets at Will Call, which was easy once the confused people got out of line ahead of us. Many of the ushers and attendants volunteer here, which I really love to see. They get to see shows, and our arts organizations keep flourishing. Security was a breeze, though they're thorough enough to check bags. The lobby's nice, just big enough to get 1200 people to their seats (I think that's capacity, but don't quote me if you know better). Ushers are super friendly and helpful. Steve Earle has been around a long while now, and plenty of older folks were around us. After the show, we saw ushers hustling walkers back down the aisles to help folks who needed them. Good vibes with that. The auditorium is big, with a huge fancy inset ceiling and lots of fancy carpentry up and down the walls. It's an old movie palace and still has that fun night-on-the-town vibe in a historic way. They serve drinks here, at least at the show we saw--got a $20 glass of wine in a little covered sippy cup they let you bring back to your seat. There's leg room (I'm over 6') and seat room (I am also wide). Best of all for this July show, they have A/C, and it really works. Bathrooms are fine, too. There's really everything to like here. The PA isn't huge but it sounded great and it was plenty loud enough for a singer playing guitar or mandolin as he sang. Seeing both musicians really made me feel great, and the venue did nothing except make the whole night even better. Awesome night of music. read more

What a beautiful theatre. We came for Choir!Choir!Choir! last night and it was a wonderful singing experience--thanks so much Daveed and Nobu! They acknowledged what a beautiful theatre it was too, and they told us our singing sounded excellent especially in such a lovely theatre with such pretty chandos. Ha! We are new to the area and I will seek out more events at MBT. I don't think there's a bad seat in the house. They don't make theatres like this anymore. B'ham should be proud to have such a treasure of a venue. read more

Mount Baker Theatre - MBT chandelier. - Performing Arts Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

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This theater is Beautiful! It's intimate venue with amazing volunteers who go above and beyond! We went to the Dragons and Other Mythical Beasts show and had a great time! My daughter accidentally left a beloved item behind, and the staff found it and followed up with me to ship it home to us! They even drew dragons and unicorns on the box and enclosed a very sweet note. We live 5 hrs away round trip and we'd do it again. read more

Great venue! Have seen concerts, movies, and Broadway plays here. Even a participative version of Rocky Horror Picture Show! Beautiful space! Lovely Lighting! The hosts and hostesses are always super nice. But, come on... $8 for a bottle of water? $11 for a 12 oz bottle of beer and you choose a non-local brewery (nothing against Pelican, but Bellingham has 10+ local breweries!) and a non-local cider? What are you thinking? Oh, and PEPSI? we refuse to wash down movie popcorn with anything other than good ol' Coca Cola (or local beer), so we didn't spend any money on concessions, deciding to enjoy a local brew afterwards. Love the space and vibe. Nice job spacing the seats out for Covid safety. read more

The Nutcracker performance ruined my holiday. The music was "piped" in and I could barely hear it. No programs provided. They expected patrons to find the QR code somewhere in the theater and view it on their phone. So, many people had their phones lit up during the performance - a big distraction! This ballet attracts lots of children but apparently parents do not teach their kids to behave appropriately during a fine arts performance. Kicking seats and talking were in abundance! The seat map on the website is deceptive. The theater manager was useless and a waste of time. read more

A beautiful, historic and truly iconic Bellingham establishment, this theater continues to wow audiences with its creative, theatrical, musical and live performances. Everything from one-man acts, to concerts, from musicals to traveling theater, the Mount Baker Theater offers this local town a taste of the arts from across the country. Beautiful interiors, grand ticket window and friendly people-facing staff make each transaction and event special. read more

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Lovely theatre that brings great artists to our town. Only downfall is very expensive drinks and bar closes while artists are playing. Even if you want water. read more

Mount Baker Theatre - Performing Arts Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

I love the Mount Baker Theater and true heart of culture in our community. This beautiful theater is 92 years young, and hope it continues to provide performances for all to enjoy for many more years to come. The staff doesn't exactly know where to tell you your seats are, but once you find them, all seats are great! read more

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The theatre is beautiful and its smaller theatre is very nice as well. There is plenty of parking and a good selection of restaurants for a pre-show meal. The volunteers at the theatre were very friendly. read more

This performing arts venue is a Bellingham gem. It was built in 1927, and it is on the National Register of Historical Places. The red-domed tower is a beacon leading everyone downtown. The building exterior is somewhat austere in contrast to the ruby-red colors and Spanish-Moorish design and textures one finds inside. In addition to being an absolutely lovely theater, it hosts an amazing array of performances: plays, musicals, dance shows, rock concerts (B52s), stand-up comedy (This American Life's Ira Glass), lectures (NASA Astronaut Dr. Robinson), etc. Its patrons benefit from the amazing talent that stops here to perform on their way to/from much larger shows in Vancouver, BC and Seattle, WA. Ticket prices vary, but you can usually score some very cheap, nose-bleed seats in the back rows of the balcony. It's establishments like this that make me feel lucky that I live in Bellingham. read more

Beautiful and interesting! I arranged a free tour of the theatre for when my folks were visiting from Ohio. My initial contact from the volunteers was great. The woman provided information and obtained information regarding my preferred time. The second contact, Beth, was very friendly and called me by phone to set the tour appointment. Day of, I wasn't too sure of how the tour was going to go. The volunteers that I approached for the start of the tour were not very personable. However, Beth, the volunteer who completed the tour, was extremely friendly and knowledgeable. We were given information on the construction and renovations of the building. Provided with information on the history of shows past and present. Beth shared paranormal stories reported by people that have worked in the theater. The tour included access to the upper and lower lobby areas, projection room, dressing rooms, storage, stage, orchestra pit, backstage, and even part of the ventilation area. This is definitely a "must see" in Bellingham. I'm looking forward to coming to the theater for some of the shows in the coming season. read more

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Magnificent grand old Spanish-Moorish architecture, with a breathtaking rotunda in the main room. Outstanding acoustics, lush decor, easy access, easy parking, a terrific venue with historical swagger. read more

Mount Baker Theatre - Performing Arts Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

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A nice find in Bellingham. We came here to see a show, and I was pleasantly surprised by this cute intricate theatre. The atmosphere is cozy with a hint of antiquity. I appreciated the drink lounge area, which is in a different part of the theatre. You can order a drink and finish it in the seated lounge room, or you can purchase a reusable cup and sip your drink in your theatre seat. I would be happy to see another show here. read more

If a venue can be described in human terms, this place is like visiting a friends nice old aunt. The only thing missing is a cup of tea. This is one of those historic, classic old places with insane detailing and woodwork and amazing light fixtures. It's an intimate place where you feel close to the performers, but the room is large enough for more popular attractions. Even outside the auditorium on the upper level there are couches to relax on during the intermission or before the performance. Inside, the seating is slightly sloped and chairs are well padded. (My bony butt did not complain!) But who could sit still watching a show like Johny Clegg? I was bouncing all over to the S. African rhythms and enjoyed every moment. This theater should be well taken care of in her old age and preserved. I'm sure she has a lot of stories to tell. read more

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Tonight was so incredibly disappointing! We are members of the MB Theatre. We arrived to the Members Lounge for the Wanda Sykes show to find a very long line to get a beverage. They had one very nice but very alone young man trying to get drinks out to people before the show started. We felt lucky to have our drinks in hand and heading to our seats just a few minutes before the show was to start. As the lady took us to our seats she found that someone else was seated in them. She seemed very confused but asked the people sitting to please move. They refused. Now the show began. We are still standing and the situation now is full blown embarrassing! The opening act has started and several of us are trying to figure out what we are supposed to do. Now I can't imagine this is the first time that this has happened but for some reason it felt like it. Now the comedian looks over and says "Damn figure it out so I can continue with my show". I am dying of embarrassment but some rude couple says here just sit here... a few rows back and then says we should be grateful. For what I think.. Grateful that I bought some strangers seats to see Wanda and I am sitting further back with some big head in my way? Just what exactly am I grateful for? Now at this point we don't have a choice so we just take what seats we can. I proceed to not hear one word of the opening act. I am so angry and so embarrassed. I keep thinking why the F am I not sitting in the seats we paid for? The lady that seats us says something about going to tell the house manager. The evening continues and Wanda is fantastic but I am still so upset. The show ends and as we are walking out I see a man with a name tag on. I stop and ask him if he is the house manager? He says no he is the executive director. I begin to tell him what happened and he says oh that was you? That was funny. I stand there somewhat stunned silent. I am thinking to myself it wasn't funny A hole, it was humiliating and upsetting. I had to sit in seats I didn't pay for, miss the entire opening act and stew for a few hours over how crappy the situation was. Perhaps there wasn't anything anyone could really to do at his point but perhaps a little empathy school would be good for him b/c all he really had to do was say he was sorry that happened to us. At this point I am not renewing our membership and we probably won't be back. I would also say this... Get to your seats early because if someone else has them, you probably won't get them back. Also I would say this... Go to the Lincoln Theatre in Mount Vernon instead. They wouldn't have tolerated people taking other peoples seats and if it did they wouldn't say it was funny! Damn this night sucked! read more

Such a Bellingham gem. Beautiful old theatre with great shows! Love this place. Seeing Anne Lamott here tonight. One of my favorite authors and inspirations. The ushers are always charming and sweet and the facilities are clean. read more

Mount Baker Theatre - Performing Arts Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

Well... I was A little too harsh on my Last review. I'm sorry. The house manager wasn't that bad. Very impressed by organ playing and movie. read more

This theater is awesome and everything I am in it, I notice something different. The owners have done a wonderful job of restoring the theater and so glad that they care about our beautiful theater! Anne Lamott was incredible and I love her wit as well as her writing! I'm a big fan and so happy that she drew a full house, she is incredible! read more

Mount Baker Theatre - Here with friends to see Anne Lamont, so excited! - Performing Arts Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

Historic Theater in Bellingham, WA with a medieval theme and decor inside. Fantastic venue that hosts a variety of shows, everything from Broadway National Tours to Local Comedy, and has the charm and sense of community that you find in a college town. read more

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This is a nice, old, classic theatre. Aside from limited bathroom facilities, it's about everything you'd expect. Seating is adequately comfortable, and the size of the auditorium isn't too big to get a pretty good seat wherever you may be. I did notice recently that the sound can be somewhat unfavorable in balance on the side seats, so perhaps they could improve the audio technology in the future. I did have an annoying experience due to them using a third party to sell tickets at discount beginning at midnight in this case. Nobody was available in person to handle some IT problems that prevented the final sale, and those seats were sold to other people shortly afterwards. Even after sending urgent emails and leaving voice messages stating I could show videos of their server error, I was still refused the same or better seats. I was told I was not the only person cheated by the system, so a number of patrons have been disrespected today. Offering to sell us tickets to less preferable seats is not the right way to make up for Mount Baker Theater's IT deficiency. However, someone in a different area of management called back and made acceptable accommodations and apologized for the inconvenience. Hopefully in the future someone will be available in person when a sale begins to manage problems. read more

My one and only complaint, a big one, about the theater is their poor marketing strategy regarding ticket sales. If the customer buys online, there is $6.00+ fee tacked on for each ticket. Even onsite and telephone sales get a $1 tacked on for each ticket. When customers purchase online, prices should be lower since it eliminates overhead of ticket sales persons and telephone staff. The extra fees tend to insinuate gouging like the practices of Ticketmaster.com (they were sued for this practice). In other sectors, such as airline ticketing, companies usually do not charge (and in some cases even offer a discount), for electronic ticketing. Economist Emily Oster of the Chicago Booth School of Business suggests that this reflects the lack of competition in the industry, with customers willing to pay more for the convenience of obtaining the tickets immediately due to a lack of alternate options At the very least, Mt. Baker Theater should price tickets so there is no adder for this and that...it is soooo annoying and reflects poorly on the organization, in my view. I will not go to any concert where the ticket prices online are more than published prices based on principle. read more

My wife and I had a chance to go out to a comedy show at the Mt. Baker theater. What an amazing venue. It looks as if it has been recently remodeled and done very well. We went to see Nick Swardson in perform live. Great show!!!! We sat in the 4th row and had great seats. We had friends in the balcony and they also said it was a great view with great sound. If I am going to critique anything it would be a few small items. * the items to choose from at the concession area were lacking. Not a very good beer or wine selection. * sitting as close as we were it seemed the sound projected over us and at times would miss a sentence or two. * I know that this venues caters to a lot of orchestra and live theater where photography is not allowed. Comics and music performers want the audience to capture video, upload it and post it. This helps them. The staff seemed very diligent in stopping all phone cameras, and the performer even was like " hey your hassling my guests chill out". Overall a great night and I hope my few items I mentioned are not taken harshly, just my observations. We will be back time and time again. read more

This is a beautiful old theater in the heart of Bellingham's downtown district, and surprisingly enough they do get big name acts coming through on a somewhat regular basis. I've seen Tom Jones and Loreena McKennit here, making the 70 mile drive up from where I was living at the time because I like Bellingham and this theater far more than the Paramount down in Seattle. Parking can be a bit questionable, but being Bellingham you can usually find a spot several streets away. I like to get there early and find some place to have dinner before the show. read more

I'm finally at the Mt Baker Theatre! I'm not here for a show but I can tell you that it's a beautiful, historic venue nestled in downtown Bellingham. Surrounding parking seems to be a little tricky. And the staff are friendly and attentive. read more

I went to the Season reveal event yesterday afternoon and was blown away! My husband and I attended last year and this year was way more fun. I loved how interactive and engaging the whole thing was. When we arrived we received a map of the theater as well as a passport that listed all of the shows for that year. The passport included a section in the back where you could collect stamps from all the different event areas. If you got all the stamps you received a chocolate bar after talking to the ticket agents. We were with five kiddos so we didn't try to get our passport stamped, but the idea was phenomenal. Some of the events included face painting (where you learned about the kids theater programs), a film screening that walked you through the entire upcoming season (they also served a variety of alcoholic beverages in this room), a paper airplane contest off the balcony in the theater, a tour of the stage (included writing your name on the stage, seeing/hearing the piano used for silent film screenings, and a hands on tutorial of how stage lights work). As you moved from event to event there were theater volunteers scattered throughout that would tell you all about the different rooms backstage and in the front of house. Not only were there a million things to do, but it was informative. Everyone working the event was extremely knowledgeable about the different aspects of the theater, but they were all so kind and helpful. Running around with five kids (including an infant) is no easy task. They made sure that everything was fmaily friendly. Everything was top notch, from highly skilled face painters, to a great selection of local beverages (honeymoon, and local breweries). The passports were put together with finesse and creative thought. It was clear that a lot of time and money had been spent on making this a community focused event where everyone was welcome. I love the theater and had never had an opportunity to see Mt. Baker in all its glory. It really is a Bellingham gem. I hope they take this approach to their season next year. I would recommend that everyone attend! read more

An intimate little performance hall, seating a mere 1500 people and yet it draws well known acts to showcase their talent. What a sweet deal for all comers! Plenty of FREE parking nearby, easy strolls to the ticketbox, lots of area restaurants to choose from before walking in to find a seat. Once inside? WOW!! Gorgeous remodel recently finished and boy was it well worth it. Acoustics, heat, and lighting are top rate now. The interior decor is lush and inviting, velvet red seats are plush and comfortable. Amenities: wine and beer, snacks, friendly ushers, clean and well maintained restrooms, and plenty of doors for exiting with ease once events are over. read more

Bought tickets for the Fight Night Championship, Boxing and MMA. So very disappointed, doors opened at 6pm, curtain was supposed be be at 7pm but actually was more than an hour late and then not all of the fighters were there. The boxing ring was up on stage so if you had seats up front you couldn't even see without standing up. Beers were $7 and if you wanted to take them into the theater you had to buy a special cup for $3 or drink your drinks in the lobby. The theater is beautiful but the promoters were horrible, Avelar/Galeas, if I were their sponsors I would demand my money back. Avelar/Galeas should refund all of my moneyed spent, this was in no way what they advertised ! read more

Such a beautiful venue! Our daughter was in a ballet here this weekend and I think we had almost as much fun exploring as she had performing. The ornate decor invites one to study every color, curve and edge. The ghost stories about the theater spark imagination. The acoustics are good. The staff kept it clean and were very helpful and professional. My grandmother was disappointed that the organ that used to play while she came to watch Shirley Temple moving pictures was nowhere to be found. Other than that, everyone in our party had nothing but positive things to say about this gorgeous venue. read more

Beautiful venue. Attended the Brian Regan comedy show and greatly enjoyed our time. The staff is friendly and helpful.

I have enjoyed MBT for various shows but today I am waiting to watch the nutcracker and I purchased a hot chocolate for my wife and they asked if I wanted to spend an additional 3 dollars for a glass that I could take into the theater. I said sure. After spending the 5 dollars for a glass of hot chocolate they gave me a glass that was half full. I asked them to fill it up the rest of the way and they said no. In fact they said they filled it up to much to begin with. They told me that you purchase the hot chocolate by the oz and not the glass. On the price last they state that wine is sold by the ounce but hot chocolate is sold by the glass. The actual theater is nice but what the worker told me today really rubbed me the wrong way. If you are going to upsale a glass, then do me the courtesy of filling the glass. read more

We have been here two times to see ballets performed. The staff is super friendly and helpful. The decor is gorgeous on the inside. The one down side is that due to this being an older theater, the seating is more flat, making it hard to see around the person seated in front of you if they have any height. read more

This is an American landmark. A dear friend of mine, Syd, used to play the organ there many years ago. What a classic piece of American history and culture and music that needs to be passed on to the next generation of artists, musicians, theater goers and more. read more

This is a very charming, clean, and fun theater! I recently saw Lewis Black here and there isn't a bad seat in the house-really! The facilities are clean and the acoustics are wonderful as well. The seating was laid out nicely so everyone had plenty of room and wasn't crammed into their neighbor's laps. read more

Good people, great service. A core to life in bellingham.

As a dancer I've preformed here more than a few times and it's one of my favorite places in Bellingham. I have to say the stage is a little small and there have been lighting errors durring a couple of our preformances, but this is a place built from community volunteers and it is truly magical. read more

Beautiful venue. Makes even a modest event seem like a Special Occasion.