Nevada's Historic Opera Houses That Have Survived the Ages

Thompson's Opera House, Pioche

   In addition to saloons, brothels, general stores, assay offices and boarding houses, some western towns, including a handful in Nevada, had one other popular amenity—an opera house or theater.

   That was certainly true in communities such as Virginia City, Reno, Carson City, Eureka, Pioche, and Winnemucca, which each boasted a performing arts facility, that would host touring singers, musicians, theater productions, magic shows, lecturers and, occasionally, even opera.

   While the various opera houses in Reno, Winnemucca and Carson City disappeared over the years, usually due to fires or progress, historic performance halls in Virginia City, Eureka and Pioche have managed to soldier-on into the 21st century.

   Probably the most famous of Nevada’s historic opera houses is Piper’s Opera House in Virginia City. The community’s first opera house, called Maguire’s Opera House, was built in 1863. Four years later, it was acquired by the man most associated with it now, John Piper. That structure burned down during the Great Fire of 1875 and, three years later, Piper erected his second opera house on the same site.

   A fire in 1883, however, destroyed that hall as well, so Piper built the third iteration of his performing arts center on that site in 1885. It is this version, at the intersection of B and Union streets, that continues to stand today.

   Over the years, Piper’s Opera House has hosted lectures by Mark Twain and performances by famed 19th century performers such as Edwin Booth, Lily Langtry, Al Jolson and John Philip Sousa.

   In the late 1990s, the building was purchased by a non-profit group, which has helped to restore it. The opera house continues to operate as a performing arts venue to this day. For more information, go to: https://pipersoperahouse.com/.

   Another of Nevada’s surviving performing arts facility from the 19th century is the Eureka Opera House, also known as the Eureka Theater, is the historic central Nevada mining community of Eureka.

   Built in 1880, the Eureka Opera House served as community hub, hosting touring companies that offered plays, concerts, lectures and balls. In 1915, it was converted into a movie theater offering silent films and continued showing movies until 1958.

   Closed for more than three decades—but maintained by local residents—the opera house was restored to its original splendor by Eureka County in 1993. Today, it continues to host visiting performances, convention groups, and other group gatherings. For more information, go to: https://www.eurekacountynv.gov/recreation-culture-in-eureka-county/opera-house/.

   The last surviving opera house is Brown’s Hall/Thompson’s Opera House in the eastern Nevada town of Pioche. Built in 1873 by Aleck Brown, it hosted dramatic presentations, dances, balls, plays, fraternal organization meetings and other events.

   In 1891, Brown sold the hall to Arthur S. Thompson, a prominent local businessman, who enlarged the stage and renamed it Thompson’s Opera House. Like the Eureka Opera House, Thompson’s installed movie projectors and screens in 1915 and, in the 1930s, the name was changed to the Gem Theater.

   In 1937, a new movie house was constructed adjacent to the old opera house. The new business assumed the Gem Theater name and, by the 1940s, the old building was largely abandoned.

   In 1991, Lincoln County acquired the opera house and began the long process of raising funds to restore it. The work was finally completed in 2009. Today, it is used for private events. For more information, go to: https://piochenevada.com/things-to-do/thompsons_opera_house/.

   In addition to the three Nevada opera houses that have survived, another that should be noted is the Amargosa Opera House located in Death Valley Junction, just a few miles west of the Nevada-California boundary. Built between 1923 and 1925 by the Pacific Borax Company, which mined borate minerals in the area, it was originally known as Corkill’s Hall and served as a community center.

   In more recent decades, it become known as the Amargosa Opera House and was home of legendary dancer Marta Becket, a former New York theater performer, who danced in solo productions there for more than four decades (from her early 40s until she was in her 80s).

   Becket died in 2017 at the age of 92 and her beloved desert opera house, now operated by a non-profit foundation, continues to host performances and is open for tours. For more information, go to: https://www.amargosaoperahouse.org/operahouse/.