The Passion Play Theater Tour
The most famous and highly anticipated of all the passion plays is the Oberammergau Passion Play.
Once every ten years, more than 500,000 people from all over the world make a pilgrimage to the Oberammergau Passion Play Theater.
If you are unable to see the Passion Play on your trip, you can still visit the Passion Play Theater and take a tour.
A visit to the 4,700 seat theater is a wonderful opportunity to learn about the tradition of the Oberammbergau Passion Play, its history and the villagers’ commitment to a promise made over three centuries ago.
Knowledge of the history of the Passion Play and the Theater is also important in order to understand the villagers' dedication to this centuries old tradition.
The historic Passion Play Theater was extensively renovated to include upgraded lighting, sound system and seats, as well as a heated floor. But thankfully, the open air stage remains as it was, framed by a natural backdrop of spectacular Alpine scenery.
Guided tours of the Passion Play Theater are available. The tours last about 1 hour. Most of the tours are in German, but there are usually two daily tours in English.
If you miss an English tour, go ahead and take the German language tour - it is still worth it.
Our tour began with the open-air stage and the theater. The theater where the audience sits has a roof, but the stage is open to the elements, and we saw photos of performances in some pretty wet weather.
The stage is large but simple, with archways suggesting a city. The seating for the audience under the roof is huge, but it is arranged so all the seats have a good view.
Our tour guide took us backstage to view the Passion Play costumes and props. There are many rooms devoted to the Passion Play costumes and each is specific to a single character or class of characters.
We also saw the major props used in the play. The golden calf, the table from the last supper, the trees from the garden of Gethsemane, and the crucifix. Many of the props have been used in the play for many generations.
I really enjoyed the tour. It was fascinating and well worth the admission fee - which was very reasonable.
Admission Cost and Times
- Adult fee for the Passion Play Theater tour ticket was € 4.00
- Children under 18 is € 1.00
When we went, the English tours were at 11:00 am and 2:30 pm. But please check before you go. Tour times may change.
For more information, email: passionstheater@oberammergau.de
or call: 49 (0) 8822-9458833
