A Classic Arlington TX Entertainment Venue: Arlington Music Hall

In Arlington, there are a lot of cool places where you can catch some great live music and entertainment. From local coffee shops to bars to lounges, Arlington Music Hall offers some of the richest performing history in all of Tarrant County.

Arlington Music Hall was built in 1949, opened in 1950 and considered a cutting edge entertainment facility at the time. More than 60 years later, Arlingtonites can enjoy a wide variety of performances inside this historic venue in Downtown Arlington.

Artists like George Jones, Willie Nelson, Loretta Lynn, Rick Springfield, Sara Evans, Clint Black and Merle Haggard have all graced this historic venue’s stage. In fact, country star Leann Rimes got her start as a child at Arlington Music Hall performing in the then-popular Johnnie High Country Music Revue, now known at Arlington Live!.

“The Hall” got a major upgrade through a $7 million renovation by North Texas Developer Burk Collins, who purchased it in 2006. Upgrades included doubling the stage size and increasing seating capacity to nearly 1100. The re-grand opening ocurred in November 2010 with Ray Price serving as the headliner.

Beyond national acts, the Arlington Music Hall supports and hosts local community events like the Symphony Arlington performances. A wide

range of stage productions, including pop, rock, country, comedy, Broadway and family shows can also be found at the Arlington Music Hall.

Want to catch a show at the Arlington Music Hall? Don’t forget the tickets. Tickets can be purchased in advance via the venue’s website or in person at the box office. Parking for all shows can be found in parking lots that surround the facility on and around Center St.

Want some fun facts about the historic Arlington Music Hall? Use them wisely because these tidbits will make you the envy of all your friends at the next cocktail party:

• The building was orginally a movie theater when opened in 1949
• The opening night program featured the movie, ‘Seabiscuit’ with Shirley Temple and Barry Fitzgerald and musical entertainment by local band, The Flying X Ranch Hands, also known as The Light Crust Doughboys
• The original marquee is still intact over the front entrance
• Before becoming Arlington Music Hall, the building was known as the Johnnie High building because High was the owner while they ushered in all several country music acts who later became famous

Photo credits: texasrootsandboots, Arlington Music Hall