The Forest Theatre, located on the eastern side of UNC-Chapel Hill campus has been around for 100 years. The outdoor amphitheater borders Battle Park — home to 93 acres of land and trails. William Coker, botany professor at the university originally recommended the location of the theatre back in 1916. Coker’s building proposal led to the 1918 construction of the open-air theatre, situated conveniently downhill from the Coker Arboretum.

The newly formed Carolina Playmakers had its beginnings at the theatre. The ensemble put on their first performance just a year after the theatre’s completion, in celebration of the 300th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death. The campus resident theatre company is now a nationally recognized ensemble, successfully developing new playwriting talent.

The Forest Theatre was later reconstructed in 1940 with funds from the Works Projects Administration. An English landscaper, Albert Bell, was hired for the project’s redesign due to his previous work in Virginia. Further improvements were made in 1948 to create what we know the theatre as today.

The outdoor theatre is on the face of a hillside and made almost entirely of local stone. You can access the theatre through a pathway off of Country Club Road. Stone retaining walls surround the theatre creating a semi-enclosed border. The entrance has two stone rooms on either side that act as ticketing booths for the theatre. The amphitheater is filled with sand, and stone seating that descends, stadium-style towards the stage. The Forest Theatre is surrounded by woodland creating a naturalistic setting — being one with nature.

The open-air theatre continues to provide a creative space for outdoor entertainment. The annual Paperhand Puppet Festival is held in the theatre every summer between August 3 and September 3. The theatre is also available for weddings providing a picturesque backdrop for the ceremony and photographs. The Forest Theatre is currently managed by the North Carolina Botanical Garden.

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