Restaurants, Parking, Directions & More

This page is designed to give you a little help in getting ready to go to your first concert.  It's also informative and entertaining reading even if this is your fiftieth concert!  Follow the links below to learn more about the music, the venues, the artists and even how to find the bathroom!

Recommended Restaurants 
Stay Awhile: Preferred Hotels 
Parking at the Performing Arts Center    
Directions to the Performing Arts Center    
Directions to other venues    
Symphonic Forays with Dr. Craig Russell  
How to Enjoy a Live Concert by John Steinmetz 

Parking at the Performing Arts Center

Event parking at Cal Poly is located in the parking garage adjacent to the Performing Arts Center.  Attendants will be on hand collecting $6 per car for parking privileges.  You can purchase parking passes in advance at the PAC box office for just $5 per car.  Call (805) 756-2787 for concert tickets and parking passes.

Return to Top

Directions to the Performing Arts Center

The Performing Arts Center San Luis Obispo is located on the Cal Poly State University campus at 1 Grand Avenue in San Luis Obispo.  The Performing Arts Center consists of the Christopher Cohan Center (this is where Symphony concerts take place) the Alex & Faye Spanos Theatre, the Pavilion and a 180-seat Recital Hall.

Click here for more information about the Center
Click here for directions to the Center

Return to Top

Directions to other Venues

Parking is free on-site for all venues other than the PAC. 
Click the links below for Google Maps to all venues 

Trinity United Methodist Church     

Mt. Carmel Lutheran Church      

Embassy Suites Hotel  

Return to Top

Symphonic forays

Dr. Craig Russell presents the "who, what, when, where and how" of classical music at each Classics in the Cohan concert. Join him for an entertaining explanation of the musical program in Harman Hall at 7 pm.

Sponsored by
Ursula & Michael Fitzgerald

	John Steinmetz

How to Enjoy a Live Concert

Courtesy of John Steinmetz - Bassoonist, Educator and Friend of the San Luis Obispo Symphony

Hearing live music is one of the most pleasurable experiences available to human beings. The music sounds great, it feels great, and you get to watch the musicians as they create it. No matter what kind of music you love, try listening to it live.

Hearing classical music in a concert can leave you feeling refreshed and energized. It can be fun. It can be romantic. It can be spiritual.

It can also scare you to death.

Classical music concerts can seem like snobby affairs full of foreign terminology and peculiar behavior. It can be hard to understand what's going on. It can be hard to know how to act. It can be hard to find the restroom...

Click here for more...  (it's very entertaining and informative reading!)

Questions?

Click here to email Symphony staff or call (805) 543-3533