Was a great old theater....saw an awesome show of the history of the Tabor family and Leadville that was presented by Pocket Watch Productions out of Manitou Springs. Love it, you should see it yourself......
The tour guide was really very good and knew all the stories. It is really an integral part of the rich fabric which is Leadville. Wild wild west town and here is a part that has been maintained very well(nearly knocked down in 1955) go do the tour, 30 minutes.
A must see in this old mining town. While its history dates back into the 1800's, its charm is relavent still today as a place for enterianing audiances.The tour is only $5 and includes a well made documentary of the Tabor's history. You can explore the theater, the dressing room areas, the pictures lining the walls of its history.
The opera house itself is beautiful as old opera houses should be. It also has a history of performances, of course. But not enough goes on there. I'd like to see a more busy schedule. Maybe a church could use it Sunday mornings, community-involved performances could use it. I have a lot of ideas for which I could use a facility like that if I owned it.
If you enjoy older architecture and buildings with great history take the time to tour the Tabor Opera House. It's a great old building and once you view the 18 minute video about the building's history and the performers who played there, you are allowed to roam freely throughout the place. You can go into the basement to see the dressing rooms (outfitted with period furniture), you can step out on the stage, go up to the balconies, and imagine what this amazing 1879 building was like in its heyday. Take the time and the tour ($5 per person).
We had a marvelous tour at the Tabor Opera House and even had the opportunity to enjoy a drum solo by my husband and a singing solo by my daughter on the historic stage! Our tour guide was absolutely amazing and offered personal experiences to the tour which made it feel like home. What a wonderful piece of history and a fabulous way to spend an hour!
Historic Leadville Colorado so much to see. Back in the 1800's lived the wealthy Tabor family to which many attractions/buildings had been named after. Mr Horace Tabor built the Tabor Opera House in 1882. You will see the old victorian decor and can just imagine the plays that were performed there. Also highly recommended is the history of the Tabor family and his second wife Baby Doe. The wealth and fortune obtained from the silver mines, later to be broke After his death,Baby Doe ended up alone and in poverty living in a cabin for decades. Besure to read the history of the Tabor family, very interestng. The Opera House, The cabin, Silver minds, the victorian homes, the Silver Dollar Saloon, ALL very interesting and a step back in time. As you approach Leadville you will see an old red school house in the open field and in the background the Rocky Mts., very picturesque. Leadville is in the heart of the Rocky Mountains a Another interesting fact is that Doc Holiday also moved here.
This place hasn't been touched by rehabbing since it was built. It really is like stepping back into time. They even have the original seating in the auditorium. And the electrical board! One can wander around and explore as long as wanted. Can go under the stage to see the original dressing rooms. It feels like a show just ended 120 years ago! We were walking around gasping WOW! and so were all the other people we met there. If you like historical buildings, this is the place for you to explore!
Love the history!!!! Love the decor!!! Love the magic!!!! Love the shows!!!! If you like old buildings and old theatres you will love the Tabor Opera House. You can also sing on the stage and the acoustics are outstanding!!! If you get an opportunity to watch a show don't miss it and the shows are inexpensive as well.
Leadville is justifiably proud of its ability to hang on and come back from death's door after so many other mining towns in Colorado left only ghost towns as remains when the 19th century mining boom in the high Rockies collapsed. The Tabor Opera House is a piece of that early prosperous history, and the unguided tour and 18 minute video ($5 per person at the time of this writing) is a great way to learn about those early times. The tour is mostly about the opera house itself, but you will learn something about Leadville's interesting past here, which laid the foundation for the fortunes of the likes of the Guggenheims. Take some time to do this tour, sing a song or two from the historic stage, and think about what it would have been like to have been here when "the Unsinkable" Molly Brown and other renowned figures from the past of live stage performances were mainstays in this historic venue.