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Leadville’s historic Tabor Opera House was once billed as the finest theatre between St. Louis and San Francisco. Silver baron Horace Tabor, who made his fortune in Leadville, built this opulent building in 1879 in a mere 100 days. It is now undergoing its first major rehabilitation since 1879. Join us for tours and performances!

ATTEND AN EVENT

Join us for fun events on the Tabor’s storied stage!

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TAKE A TOUR

Be sure to tour the Tabor Opera House! See the stage where John Philip Sousa, Oscar Wilde, and Anna Held performed. Tour the Tabor museum, a collection of memorabilia. Local youth and experienced local history buffs will keep you spellbound.

COLORADO HISTORIC OPERA HOUSES CIRCUIT

Did you know Leadville’s Tabor Opera House is one of 5 opera houses in the new Colorado Historic Opera Houses Circuit?

Discover these historic gems and plan a trip full of music, mountains, history and more!

HISTORY AND REVITALIZATION

The Tabor Opera House was built in 1879 by silver mining magnate Horace Austin Warner (HAW) Tabor. In its heyday, the Tabor hosted conductor John Philip Sousa, British wit Oscar Wilde, actress Sarah Bernhardt, performer Anna Held, and more celebrities. Even a circus with tigers has paraded across the stage.

Around the turn of the century, 150 opera houses graced the state. Today, only eight stand as a proud monument to Colorado history. The City of Leadville purchased the Tabor Opera House in 2016. Now, the city and the Tabor Opera House Preservation Foundation are working to revitalize this magnificent brick theater. The future Tabor will be a cultural hub and economic driver for Leadville.

How the Tabor Opera House was Built

The Tabor Opera House was built in 1879 by Horace Austin Warner (HAW) Tabor, one of Colorado’s most well known mining magnates. It was one of the most costly and most substantially built structures in Colorado history. The construction materials were not available in Leadville, so HAW Tabor ordered that they be brought up by wagons… a tedious task. Nevertheless, the Tabor was completed in only 100 days from the date of ground-breaking, which was a record time.

The massive three-story opera house was constructed of stone, brick, and iron, and trimmed with Portland cement. Its solid brick walls stand 16 inches thick. The color scheme used was red, gold, white, and sky blue, lit by 72 jets of brightly burning gas lights. This substantial construction has weathered the test of time.

Evelyn Livingston Furman

Evelyn Livingston Furman, who sold Maytag wringer washers, bought the Tabor Opera House from the Elks in 1954 and personally ran it until she was 84 years old. Along the way, Evelyn wrote three books that tell the story of the Opera House, Augusta Tabor, and Silver Dollar Tabor. Eventually, she turned the controls to her daughter Sharon Furman Bland and her husband Bill.