Mary Rippon Outdoor Theatre

The Colorado Shakespeare Festival provides complimentary stadium seats at the Mary Rippon Theatre.

After going dark at the end of summer 2023 for a three-year, $105 million renovation of CU Boulder’s Hellems Arts and Sciences building, the historic Mary Rippon Outdoor Theatre reopened in June, 2026 with the Colorado Shakespeare Festival’s 69th season. The nearly century-old sandstone amphitheatre keeps its signature charm — the distinctive local red sandstone benches have been rebuilt by expert masons, and the beloved stage-side trees preserved — while gaining an open atrium and lobby with soaring windows, a new Stinger’s Café serving beer, wine and light fare, expanded all-gender restrooms, string-lit outdoor patios and state-of-the-art LED lighting. Accessibility gets a major boost with four ADA-compliant entrances and wheelchair seating in every pricing zone.