Wichita Falls Opera House

The Wichita Falls Opera Company was formed in 1908 to establish a theater in the city. The first seven directors were C. W. Bean, N. Henderson, J. L. Jackson, Frank Kell, J. A. Kemp, W. M. McGregor, and T. R. T. Orth. The project was funded by public subscription and the land for the opera house was deeded by J. A. Kemp and Anderson Bean. The building was completed the same year by the Fort Worth firm of Brown and Cramer. The first production in the new theater was the play "His Honor, The Mayor", which opened to a full house. In addition to drama, the building was also used for music festivals, concerts, ballet, traveling acts, opera, and for graduation ceremonies of the Wichita Falls High School. Celebrities appearing here during the early years included William Jennings Bryan, Anna Pavlova, Lillian Russell, Ernestine Schumann-Heink, and Evelyn Nesbitt. Later the interior was remodeled to accommodate motion pictures. Music for the early silent movies was provided by a mechanical piano. The opera house declined in popularity after the opening of the Municipal Auditorium in 1926. Later used as a wrestling arena, it was purchased by the Interstate Theaters, Inc. (1981)

Wichita Falls Opera House is a historical marker in Wichita Falls, Wichita County, dedicated in 1981. It is one of 73 historical markers documented in Wichita County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 87 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 33.9127, -98.4892 near Wichita Falls. The nearest cataloged historic site is O'Donohoe, John F. (historical marker), about under a tenth of a mile away. Others within a short drive include Antlers Hotel Fire of 1929, Site of:, Wichita Falls Route Building, and Hodges-Hardy House.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5485005805. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.