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Unveiled on December 9, 2005, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts' new 320-seat Family Theater (formerly the Film Theater) provides a new home for world-class family theater performances for the nation's youth and continues the Kennedy Center's $125 million commitment to performing arts education for adults and children alike.

"This new venue" said Michael Kaiser, former Kennedy Center President, "expands the Kennedy Center's ability to produce and present excellent works for young people." The inauguration of the Kennedy Center's state of the art 324-seat Family Theater facility coincides with the 30th anniversary of the Kennedy Center's youth oriented Performances for Young Audiences series.

Designed by the architectural firm Richter Cornbrooks Gribble, Inc. of Baltimore, the new theater is located on the site formerly occupied by the AFI Film Theater. Its construction spanned 11 months, and incorporates the most modern theatrical innovations available, including: premium audio technologies; a computerized rigging system; and a digital video projection system.