Frequently Asked Questions

FOR FACILITY GUESTS

Thank you for planning to attend Liberty Hall for your entertainment. We look forward to having you here. While we are generally pretty laid back here, there are a couple things to keep in mind that will help everyone have a smooth and trouble-free event (and generally make everyone’s lives a whole lot easier). The following will help answer many of the frequently asked questions about what is and isn’t allowed at Liberty Hall so you can better prepare for your visit. If any other questions arise, feel free to contact us.

Facility Capacities & Authorized Areas

The facility’s capacity is dependent on keeping the lobby, exit tunnels and working areas clear of the public. Please do not block exit doors or tunnels or loiter in the lobby areas. Back stage, dressing room, office/conference room, box office, bars, pin rail, closets, projection booths and other working areas of the facility are strictly off-limits. When an event is "Sold Out" that means there are no more tickets available by any means so please do not ask.

Event Times and Event Conclusion

All events held in Liberty Hall will take place during contracted time but must conclude no later than 1:00 am. Advertised “Door,” “Show,” or “Start” times are flexible and subject to delay or change without notice for an innumerable amount of potential reasons.

Cancellation & Ticket Refunds

While we do retain the right to cancel any rental contract at any time for a variety of reasons, it is EXTREMELY rare that the Hall has cancelled an event. Cancellation usually occurs between an artist/manager/agent and a local promoter or promoter representative or due to uncontrolled acts of nature or violations of local ordinances. Ticket refunds are available at point of purchase, aka the place you bought it from (ticket outlets, over the phone, via an artist VIP/Fan Club ticketing website or online at Ticketmaster.com, etc.). Sometimes an event will postpone rather than cancel outright, in which case your tickets will generally still be valid for a rescheduled date. Refunds are only given if an event has cancelled or you cannot make a rescheduled postponement. 

Concessions & Beverages

The Liberty Hall concession stand provides fresh popcorn, chips, candy, teas, sodas and other beverages and snacks in a movie theater style array, as well as a fully-stocked alcoholic bar. We do not have a kitchen or dinner menu so it is always best to eat a good meal before attending a long event. Outside food and drink is not allowed in Liberty Hall with the exception of coffee purchased next door at La Prima Tazza. Our open catering policy allows food service from any caterer an event promoter or planner would like to use. The event planner/promoter and their chosen caterer jointly assume all liability associated with the service of food from any source except the Liberty Hall concessions stand. FREE WATER IS AVAILABLE FROM COOLERS AT THE BAR OR AT THE DRINKING FOUNTAIN IN THE BALCONY LOBBY.

Alcoholic Beverages

All alcoholic beverages must be purchased and served by Liberty Hall. No one may leave the property with an alcoholic beverage or an open container. No person under the age of 21 may at any time, drink, hold or otherwise be in possession of an alcoholic beverage. Liberty Hall security and staff retain the right to limit the amount of alcoholic beverages being consumed by you. “Last Call” for alcohol is at the discretion of the Hall and will be at least thirty (30) minutes prior to the end of the business day at 1:00am. If you provide, or cause to be provided, alcohol not in accordance with local laws and the above policies, we retain the right to eject you, and any parties to the violation, from the Hall immediately and without further explanation or refund.

Fire Safety

Liberty Hall enforces fire protection safety codes and is subject to inspection by the City of Lawrence Fire Department. No pyrotechnic devices or open flame are allowed. All fire aisles and exits must be kept clear of equipment and people. No smoking is allowed anywhere in the building. There is no standing allowed in the aisles or on the stairs in the upper balcony (or on the floor when a seated event) during any performance. The main lobby is a public pass-through area and the main fire egress for the facility, therefore, no loitering is allowed in the lobby, stairwells or ramp to the theater floor. Failure to follow these rules will result in your immediate removal from the area, possible ejection from the event or suspension of the event until the conditions are corrected.

Smoking

Liberty Hall is a no smoking building. Smoking tobacco products or other substances inside Liberty Hall or within 10 feet of a public entrance is prohibited by City of Lawrence Public and Workplace Smoking Restriction Ordinance No. 7782 (effective July 1, 2004) and violations of this smoking ban may result in fines or suspension of the event. Please have courtesy for the non-smokers around you and respect the planet at large by disposing of your cigarette butts in an ashtray or ground out and thrown away (use your shoe, not the building please).

Americans With Disabilities Act and Accessibility

Liberty Hall is a public entity subject to Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (the ADA). Liberty Hall is reasonably accessible to disabled patrons as required by the ADA and applicable regulations. There is ramped, ground-floor box office, concessions, restroom and main theater floor access. Due to the historical nature of the building, it is impossible to provide access to the main theater balcony or to the little theater. Theater accessibility for Liberty Hall Cinema first-run film presentations can be made through contacting the box office. More info can be found here.

The event planner/promoter is responsible for making exhibits and event set-ups accessible to qualified individuals with a disability attending the event by providing temporary auxiliary aids and services to qualified individuals with a disability attending the event. "Qualified individuals with a disability" and "Auxiliary aids and services" shall have the meanings set forth in the ADA and applicable regulations.

Most concert events are General Admission standing room at the Hall.  If you are in a wheelchair, we are happy to place you near a structure at the mixing console position for your greatest visibility and safety if these things are a concern to you.  If you are disabled, but not in a wheelchair, we will make best efforts to put you in a chair in the safest place with the best possible visibility on the top section of the floor area. Oftentimes, artists and performers expressly prohibit the placement of moveable chairs in the building during a performance so we cannot provide extra chairs for other non-disabled persons accompanying you to an event. Always best to contact the box office in advance to let us know you will need our assistance so we can plan accordingly.

Handicapped access into Liberty Hall is available via any of the front doors on Massachusetts St. Accessible restrooms are through the concessions area and down the ramp towards the little theater. Liberty Hall staff is always happy to assist where possible. 

Animals or Pets

Except for service animals, and except for animals used as part of an approved exhibit or activity, no animals or pets are permitted in Liberty Hall during a public event.

Cell Phone & Mobile Device Use

Cell phone and mobile devices should ALWAYS be on vibrate or silent when attending a Cinema presentation, lecture, panel discussion or quiet performance. NEVER answer a call or text during such presentations.  If you have to make a call, please be courteous to your neighbors and excuse yourself from the theater before initiating calls or texts.

Event Security

Liberty Hall staff provides ushering, assistance and security for the box office, public entrance and front end of the building. Event promoters and planners hire security for the areas of the barricade, stage and dressing room areas. Both of these groups can and will eject you from the premises for violations without a refund as they see fit (see below). Very simply – act decent towards yourself, the building, the performers and others and you’ll be golden.

Disruptive People

Liberty Hall reserves the right to eject, or cause to be ejected from the premises, any person or persons (including unruly and unsupervised children) engaging in dangerous, disruptive, belligerent or threatening conduct. Liberty Hall reserves the right to refuse admission to any person displaying the above behaviors or who appear intoxicated or under the influence of illegal substances. Liberty Hall shall not be held liable for any damages by the applicant through exercising this right. No refunds will be given if you are ejected or refused entry to the event because of your lack of behavior, intoxication or belligerence.

Shoes and Shirts

For the safety and comfort of everyone, all patrons entering Liberty Hall are required to wear shoes and shirts. A complete list of Prohibited Items follows this FAQ.

Tickets and Safety for Children

In general, children under the age of 5 do not require a separate ticket where the child will be sitting on a parent/guardian's lap. This does depend on the event/promoter from time to time so it is always best to check in with the box office to be sure. Parents/Guardians are solely responsible for the safety of their child.  Please keep an eye on them at all times and do not allow them to wander too far as there are dangerous areas of the facility not open to the public right around the corner. For the health and comfort of your child, complimentary earplugs are available for kids at the door stand. Even the most subdued of performances can sustain volumes capable of causing hearing damage at length.

Exterior Doors

No unattended exterior doors to Liberty Hall may be propped open in any way. Keeping the doors closed helps keep an eye on the crowd, helps contain unwanted entry to the building as well as keeping the heat/AC in the building so everyone is comfortable.

Parking

Parking in downtown Lawrence is all public and subject to metering (and ticketing) from 9:30am to 6:00pm Monday through Saturday. No parking is allowed in the alleyway. Use your head and don’t park behind an event truck, bus or trailer. Chances are they will need to get into it before you are through attending the event. The latest parking locations and information can be found here: www.lawrenceks.org/parking or by calling Parking Control at (785) 832-7590.

Flyering and Handbilling

Passing out or posting flyers or handbills inside the facility is strictly prohibited to the general public. Permission must be obtained from the Hall for promoter flyering and handbilling of any kind. Distributing or throwing handbills inside or outside the facility will instantly get you banned from the building – it is a mess to clean up and the inks in the paper can seriously damage the wood floors and carpets. When the crowd is out – pick up your left-behind handbills, not only will you save the planet and save money on printing more, you can also avoid littering, which carries a fine in Lawrence. We will narc you out to the man if you litter. We know you are someone’s “Street Team” – promote your event, artist or business by first respecting the rules of the venues you are a guest in.

VIP, Meet & Greet, Aftershow and “Backstage” Passes

First things first – there is never and will never be any sort of “Backstage Pass” randomly laying around for you to scam or buy. It doesn’t exist. What happens backstage is work and needs to be clear for working personnel and safety reasons. Many artists and performers offer special passes as an add-on to your ticket though a contest, fan club or artist ticketing site. Please be sure to read every bit of information on your purchase prior to coming to the event.  We rarely know these things are happening until the day of the event and usually will not be given even basic information until we have to know. Even if you have some sort of Aftershow, Meet & Greet or VIP pass from an artist you are still a guest of the facility first and are subject to the same rules as everyone else and can be ejected like anyone else.

Guest List, Press and Photo Passes

When approaching the Box Office to pick up Guest List tickets, please keep in mind that performers and promoters rarely turn in their guest lists any earlier than 30 minutes before doors and sometimes after. Please always have your ID ready and know what person from what organization would have put you on a guest list so we know where to look for your name. Do not assume we know the entirety of the promoters’ staff members or performers and their crew by name – namedropping is annoying, rarely gets you where you want to go and usually earns you sour looks or giggling as soon as you walk away. Bringing a copy of email correspondence can sometimes be helpful but will not serve as proof until an authorized person adds you to a guest list.

In particular reference to Press and Photo Passes; in this day and age of super-controlled artist image it is extremely rare that anyone at the Hall or in any promoter’s office will ever be able to get you a Press of Photo pass. In almost every instance where cameras are a controlled-entry item you would be best served by going to an artist’s management, publicist or record label PR person to obtain a pass. Be sure that said representative gives you a day of show contact for someone on the performer’s touring staff so you can iron out difficulties or omissions with the artist directly.  This is one area where we at the Hall are pretty much powerless to assist you with in any way.

Will Call

For any events ticketed through Ticketmaster you can pick up your Will Call tickets at any time prior to the start of the event by visiting the Liberty Hall Box Office during normal business hours.  For all other events ticketed through an artist or promoter website or fan club or alternate ticketing agencies, Will Call will usually be available 30-60 minutes before doors open on the day of the event. Please always bring your ID and any other required confirmation information (account/confirmation/reference numbers, cards used to purchase, etc.) with you when picking up tickets.

Accepted Forms of Payment / ATM

With a few exceptions, Liberty Hall accepts Cash, Visa or MasterCard for payment at the Cinema, Video Store, Concessions and events ticketed through the Universe platform. In-person event ticket purchases through Ticketmaster or Universe made at the box office carry a $2 service fee per ticket and tickets for events through Ticketmaster are CASH ONLY – this allows us to keep our service fee as low as possible instead of $5-10 or more through other channels. At concerts and other large events the bar and concessions area may also be CASH ONLY. This is purely for speed of service when the building is full of people. There is an ATM in the main lobby and one outside between the Hall and La Prima Tazza available for your use.

General

Any other rules, matters, regulations, or exceptions not discussed here will be decided upon by Liberty Hall staff only and at their discretion. Liberty Hall Event Staff reserves the right to enter any and all areas of the building at any time to enforce the rules and to limit the number of people in the area. These rules and regulations are subject to update or change without notice.

Prohibited Items

NO MOSHING/BODY SURFING
NO AUDIO/VIDEO RECORDING (INCLUDING RECORDING AUDIO OR VIDEO FROM A CELL PHONE/MOBILE DEVICE)
NO SMOKING BY STATE LAW (INSIDE FACILITY OR WITHIN 10 FEET OF A PUBLIC ENTRANCE)
NO PROFESSIONAL/SLR/DETACHABLE LENS OR EXTERNAL FLASH CAMERAS
NO GUNS/WEAPONS/KNIVES OF ANY KIND (CONCEALED OR OPEN CARRY)
NO ILLEGAL OR CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES, NARCOTICS OR DRUG PARAPHERNALIA
LASER POINTERS, BULLHORNS OR NOISEMAKERS
CONFETTI, GLITTER, STREAMERS, POPPERS, BIRDSEED OR RICE
STICKERS, SPRAY PAINT, LIQUID PAINT, PAINT PENS, BODY PAINT, GLOW PAINT AND PERMANENT MARKERS (SHARPIES)
NO NATIVE HEADDRESSES UNLESS YOU ARE A NATIVE AMERICAN
HELIUM OR WATER BALOONS
HULA HOOPS, POI EQUIPMENT AND JUGGLING STICKS
OUTSIDE FOOD, DRINK OR ALCOHOL OR BOTTLES, FLASKS, COOLERS OR CONTAINERS OF ANY SIZE
FIREWORKS, SPARKLERS, EXPLOSIVES OR FIRE-BREATHING
ANY KIND OF LAUNCHING DEVICE (T-SHIRT/NOVELTY LAUNCHERS, ETC)
LARGE CHAINS, WALLET CHAINS OR SPIKED BRACELETS, JEWELERY, CLOTHING, ETC.
BLANKETS, LAWN OR FOLDING CHAIRS OF ANY STYLE
LARGE BACKPACKS, BAGS OR PURSES (SHOULD BE SMALLER THAN A STANDARD PIECE OF PAPER)
UMBRELLAS
SKATEBOARDS OR ROLLER/INLINE SKATES
PETS (EXCEPT SERVICE ANIMALS)
AEROSOL CANS
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS OR WASTES
SIGNS, FLAGS OR BANNERS
ANY OBJECT THAT COULD BE A PROJECTILE, WEAPON OR DANGER TO YOU OR ANOTHER PERSON
A GOOD RULE OF THUMB IS IF YOU WOULDN’T WANT TO BE ACCIDENTALLY OR INTENTIONALLY HIT WITH IT – LEAVE IT AT HOME OR IN THE CAR

Allowed Items

SMALL, PERSONAL AND NON-PROFESSIONAL CAMERAS
SMALL PURSES
SMALL STROLLERS WHERE CAPACITY PERMITS

Disclaimers

ALL EVENTS TAKE PLACE RAIN OR SHINE. ALL PATRONS MUST WEAR SHOES AND SHIRTS AT ALL TIMES.
MOST EVENTS ARE ALL AGES OR AGES 18+ AND REQUIRE A VALID ID FOR ENTRANCE FOR ANYONE OVER 16 YEARS OF AGE. ANYONE UNDER 16 IS REQUIRED TO ATTEND WITH A PARENT OR GUARDIAN.

PLEASE BE ADVISED: ARTISTS MAY USE THEATRICAL STROBE LIGHTING EFFECTS AND FOG/HAZE IN THE PRESENTATION OF THEIR LIVE PERFORMANCE.

PARTICIPATING IN OR STANDING NEAR ACTIVITIES SUCH AS MOSHING, BODYSURFING OR OTHER INHERENTLY DANGEROUS ACTIVIY IS DONE AT YOUR OWN RISK.

VIOLATIONS ARE CAUSE FOR CONFISCATION OF ITEMS OR EXPULSION FROM EVENT WITHOUT REFUND AT THE STAFF’S SOLE DISCRETION.