About Regina Maria Theatre
At a glance: Monuments and historic sites in Oradea, Bihor County. Ticket: from 25 lei. The visit takes 2 – 2½ hours. Information verified on 9 October 2026.
The building on Piața Regele Ferdinand I (Ferdinand Square) was designed by the Viennese firm Fellner & Helmer, which specialised in theatres for the cities of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, with the help of the Oradea architects Kálmán Rimanóczy, József Guttmann and Vilmos Rendes. It went up in only 15 months, between 1899 and 1900, and the first performance, in Hungarian, took place in October 1900. It was then called the Municipal Theatre; since 1955 it has been the State Theatre, and since 2011 the building has been shared between two institutions: the Regina Maria Theatre, in Romanian, and the Szigligeti Theatre, in Hungarian.
The façade combines Neoclassicism, which dominates the whole, with Neo-Renaissance and Neo-Baroque touches. A portico with Ionic columns and a sculpted pediment frames the main entrance, and the statues of Tragedy and Comedy stand in front. Inside, the Great Hall is laid out on three levels, stalls, boxes and balcony, with acoustics planned from the start and an orchestra pit; today it has 567 seats.
What you can see
The façade is the easiest thing to see, from the square: portico, pediment with relief statues and the bilingual inscription “Teatrul de Stat · Állami Színház”. The interior is usually seen as a spectator, at a performance: the ceiling with its rococo-toned ornament, the side and central boxes, the balcony and the stage with its red velvet curtain. The building is not a museum with daily visiting hours; from time to time it opens to the public, with guided tours led by actors and access backstage.
Good to know
The Regina Maria Theatre also has other halls outside this building: the Arcadia Hall, in the Black Eagle Passage, and the Transilvania Hall, near Piața Ferdinand. For performances, pick the hall from the programme. The building's hours are those of the performances and the ticket agency, not visiting hours. I found no announced restoration works or closures for the building.
- The portico with Ionic columns and sculpted pediment on Piața Ferdinand, with the statues of Tragedy and Comedy in front.
- The Great Hall with stalls, boxes and balcony, 567 seats and acoustics planned by the architects from the design stage.
- An evening at a performance by the Iosif Vulcan company, to see the interior used as it was built to be.
- The tours on open-door days, with actors as guides and access backstage, when announced.
- Piața Ferdinand itself, with the buildings around it.
Good to know before you go
- Getting there
By car: the theatre is in central Oradea, on Piața Regele Ferdinand I, ~1.2 km from Oradea Fortress. The central zone is largely pedestrian or low-traffic; you park on the surrounding streets.
Public transport: from any district you can reach the centre by tram or bus, and the square is a few minutes' walk from there.
- Where to park
The theatre has no car park for the public. Around it you park on the street, paid, in the central zone; on premiere evenings the spaces fill up quickly. It is more comfortable to leave the car farther away and come on foot.
- Fees & discounts
Ticket prices vary by performance, hall and seat. For the Great Hall, the official prices for ordinary performances run from 25 lei (balcony, rear seats) to 50 lei (central boxes), and for premieres from 35 to 60 lei; pupils, students and pensioners pay 30 lei. Children's performances at the Great Hall cost 15–30 lei, and at the Arcadia Hall 15–40 lei. Tickets are bought at the ticket agency or from the theatre's online system; people with disabilities and pensioners who worked at least 10 years in culture get exemptions. The official tariff for visiting the building, on days when it is open to the public, is 10 lei adult and 5 lei child; professional photography and filming inside are charged separately.
- Rules
At performances the hall's rules apply: phones off, no filming or photographing the stage during the show, arrive before it starts. No food or drink in the hall, and sets and costumes are not to be touched. Decent dress is common sense. On open-door days the tours are in groups, with limited places.
- Facilities
ticket agency · online tickets
Frequently asked questions about Regina Maria Theatre
- How much is a ticket to Regina Maria Theatre?
- A ticket to Regina Maria Theatre costs from 25 lei (performance ticket, varies). Ticket prices vary by performance, hall and seat. For the Great Hall, the official prices for ordinary performances run from 25 lei (balcony, rear seats) to 50 lei (central boxes), and for premieres from 35 to 60 lei; pupils, students and pensioners pay 30 lei. Children's performances at the Great Hall cost 15–30 lei, and at the Arcadia Hall 15–40 lei. Tickets are bought at the ticket agency or from the theatre's online system; people with disabilities and pensioners who worked at least 10 years in culture get exemptions. The official tariff for visiting the building, on days when it is open to the public, is 10 lei adult and 5 lei child; professional photography and filming inside are charged separately.
- How long does a visit to Regina Maria Theatre take?
- A visit to Regina Maria Theatre takes about 2 – 2½ hours (the length of a performance).
- Can you visit Regina Maria Theatre with kids?
- Yes, Regina Maria Theatre is suitable for children (children's performances).
- Where can I park at Regina Maria Theatre?
- There is paid parking at Regina Maria Theatre (on the street, in the centre). The theatre has no car park for the public. Around it you park on the street, paid, in the central zone; on premiere evenings the spaces fill up quickly. It is more comfortable to leave the car farther away and come on foot.
- How do I get to Regina Maria Theatre?
- Regina Maria Theatre is located at Piața Regele Ferdinand I no. 4-6, Oradea, Bihor County. By car: the theatre is in central Oradea, on Piața Regele Ferdinand I, ~1.2 km from Oradea Fortress. The central zone is largely pedestrian or low-traffic; you park on the surrounding streets. Public transport: from any district you can reach the centre by tram or bus, and the square is a few minutes' walk from there.
- When is the best time to visit Regina Maria Theatre?
- The best season for Regina Maria Theatre: All year round (season from autumn to summer).
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