acl live at the moody theater

This is a premier venue that most people know of or have heard all about. All the big acts usually perform at this venue, here or at one time before there were other big venues in town. This is still considered an amazing venue, but there are a lot of new large venues popping up, but this is still a favorite. I have seen just about everyone in this venue. This is the home of the Austin City Limits TV Show which films live tapings here for PBS and it is an awesome experience to watch the cameras roll. This is a fully accessible venue. While I always enjoy being on the floor & close to the band to watch the stage interactions and energy of the band, this visit we focused on the whole venue to provide some insight for accessibility. The elevator at this venue is a big deal because it takes you from the outside to the first floor, to the mezzanine (middle floor), to the balcony. There is always a friendly elevator operator and they double as a ticket scanner, when your tickets are not at will call. Parking is pretty much not happening for this venue. There are very few accessible spots on the road & some random indoor paid lots but not cheap or super close. I have used both power and manual chairs at this venue. We have found that taking the Cap Metro Access Bus has worked out rather well, we get dropped off right in front of the venue and picked up at the same spot. The only time that this does not really work is when it’s really cold outside because there’s no inside place to wait for the bus, so you have to wait outside. Usually for big shows at this venue, if you're like me and like to be in the crowd, it is a good idea to arrive early because fans at this venue, I have noticed, like to pick a spot and stay there. You have to get there early and grab a spot because people are reluctant to move to let you in to see, even though if you think about it, letting someone in a wheelchair upfront lets more people see than not letting them upfront, but anyway that’s just what I think. The first floor level is extremely accessible; it is all flat.

Then to go up to the mezzanine you have to go out and get on the elevator, one of the reasons there is an elevator operator, is that you have to have a ticket to access all the levels of the theater. The mezzanine level is pretty awesome. It’s got a great reception area with photos by famous photographer, Jim Marshall. There is a bar that is easy to access to get a drink and roll around to check out the amazing photography. When you get off the elevator, you can either go into the reception area or you can go into the venue - there are buttons on the wall to press to automatically open the doors to roll in, hands free. The mezzanine level is really incredible because there are many accessible spots you can pull up to and see everything that is going on on stage. The mezzanine level puts the entire stage in view! 

To go up to the balcony level, you get on the elevator once again, the balcony level also has a reception area, with photos from the live recordings. There is also a bar, but the balcony level in my opinion is not the best for seeing the show, the wheelchair spots are in the very back top row. Being at the top means that you’re very far away from seeing what is going on on stage. I have seen many shows from this level but it is not my favorite, it may be fine for some, but I really enjoy the energy from the band and you miss this being so far away. I do have friends that like this level because they are able to go down the steps and sit lower but wheelchairs don’t have that option. 

The bathrooms at ACL Live are great! On the floor level which everyone can access for the bathroom experience, there are two individual private bathrooms. Like ACL 3Ten, these are also great bathrooms, but recently on the lower level they decided to put a shelf of stuff underneath the sink, so you can not get under the sink anymore. The bars are in all the right spots and there is plenty of room to roll around. There are bathrooms on all the levels. These are shared bathrooms, but there is an accessible stall on all levels. The key thing to know about is that you can go use the facilities on the floor level with any ticket. The backstage at ACL Live is fully accessible also, wide open and flat. This is a premiere venue in Austin and it is a recommended spot to check out. 


ACL Live at the Moody Theater
310 W Willie Nelson Blvd.
Austin, TX 78701

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