The Woodruff Arts Center has set things in motion for Experience Atlanta, Experience Woodruff, its $67 million capital campaign which will expand access to proven educational programming, and secure the Woodruff Arts Center’s place as Atlanta’s center for the arts.

In early August, the center held a groundbreaking ceremony for two additional spaces—the Goizueta Stage for Youth & Families and PNC PlaySpace.

Housed in the reimagined Rich Theatre, the Goizueta Stage for Youth & Families will be designed for young patrons, and will feature curated programming by the Alliance Theatre and Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.

The PNC PlaySpace, open six days a week, will be a free experiential learning center where children can enjoy play, interactive performances and the chance to create, move, and make believe. The venue is funded by the PNC Foundation.

“For more than a decade, PNC has worked to improve the quality of life in metro Atlanta through investments in high quality early education and the arts,” Eddie Meyers, PNC regional president for Georgia, said. “Our continued support of the Woodruff Arts Center demonstrates a long-term commitment to promoting a strong, vibrant arts community and a lifelong love of learning in Atlanta’s children.”

The capital improvements will also include an outdoor community green space, lighting enhancements, clear signage and infrastructure upgrades. 

Construction commences this month, with the spaces planned for a January 2026 opening. 

“The Goizueta Stage and PNC PlaySpace will make it plain that youth and families are not just welcomed at the Woodruff Arts Center, but that the entire front of the building was designed specifically with them in mind,” Christopher Moses, Jennings Hertz artistic director at the Alliance Theatre, said. 

For more information, visit woodruffcenter.org/capital-campaign.

Photo: Artist’s conception of how the Goizueta Stage for Youth & Families will look with an audience. Photo courtesy the Woodruff Arts Center