The Garde Arts Center, New London: A Guide
The Garde Arts Center is a grand stage. It's in southeastern Connecticut. It is a restored 1926 movie palace in downtown New London. Today it hosts national Broadway tours. It also has headliner concerts, dance, and film. It is one of the most distinctive rooms in the state. In 2026 it celebrates its 100th anniversary.
A Moroccan movie palace
The Garde opened on September 22, 1926. Its auditorium is unlike anything else in Connecticut. It is a richly themed Moroccan fantasy. Desert-caravan murals cover the walls. The ceilings are stenciled. It feels like an exotic courtyard. It is a movie-palace fantasy, not Art Deco. That is part of what makes it special. The League of Historic American Theatres gave it a top honor in 2022. They named it the Outstanding Historic American Theatre. The main theater seats 1,420.
Saved, and restored
The Garde closed in the late 1970s. It came close to demolition. A nonprofit called the Garde Arts Center formed in 1985. It saved the theater and bought the building. A multi-year restoration followed. It added new lobbies and a renewed auditorium. The palace came back to life. That happened around the turn of the millennium. It has been the region's cultural anchor ever since.
Never miss a Garde show
See every concert at the Garde. Catch every Broadway tour too. Find 40+ other Connecticut venues. They're all in the free CT Concert Center app.
Download on theApp StoreWhat plays there
The Garde hosts Broadway tours. It also hosts headliner concerts, dance, and opera. Add family shows and author talks. Add film too, both new and classic. It's the longtime home of the Eastern Connecticut Symphony Orchestra. Other resident groups perform there too. Its calendar mixes big touring nights with regional shows. For more, see our guide to Broadway shows in Connecticut.
Getting there
The Garde sits at 325 State Street. That's in downtown New London. It's a short walk from the train station and the waterfront. Municipal lots and street parking sit nearby. It pairs well with a night out. The shoreline downtown is very walkable.
Around southeastern CT
The Garde is the big room here. See what else is on. Check our guide to concert venues in New London. Or see our guide to live music in Mystic. The Garde is one of the state's great historic theaters.
Every Garde show lands in the CT Concert Center app. So does every other venue across the state.