Opera House

(1883-1894) Typical of the efforts of early communities to bring culture to the frontier, the Elks Opera House was also the scene of traveling theatricals, local amateur dramas, and reunions of Confederate veterans. Sometimes called the Barnes Opera House (for owner) it presented "Ten Nights in a Bar Room," "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde," "East Lynn," and other popular plays of the late 19th century, as well as musical programs. Modern for the times, it was lighted by brilliant chandeliers and had brown leather chairs extending in tiers to the orchestra pit. The drop curtain was a woodland scene on a flaming red background. When the structure burned in 1894, it was not rebuilt. Several hundred opera houses sprang up in Texas between the decades of the Republic and World War I. Every major town had one, and opera companies from San Francisco, Chicago, and Cincinnati made annual tours, sometimes playing a town two weeks. Opera houses also helped curb the influence of theaters and music halls, whose public reputation unfortunately matched that of the saloons and gambling houses. With the advent of the automobile, radio, and motion picture in the early 20th century, however, audiences declined and the opera house era came to a close. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark, 1967

Opera House is a historical marker in Lampasas, Lampasas County, dedicated in 1967. It is one of 73 historical markers documented in Lampasas County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 122 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 31.0652, -98.1801 near Lampasas. The nearest cataloged historic site is Lampasas Volunteer Fire Department (historical marker), about under a tenth of a mile away. Others within a short drive include Pierian Club, Manuel Hardware Building, and Phillips and Trosper Buildings.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5281004855. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.