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The National Trust is excited to share that the Tabor Opera House National Treasure campaign has been successfully completed! The goal to transition ownership of the Leadville landmark and help determine a sustainable use for the building that honors its history and character has been accomplished. Now under City of Leadville ownership and Tabor Opera House Preservation Foundation operation and management, this historic place is well on its way to a full rehabilitation and use with the guidance of a market and use feasibility study completed by Denver-based Progressive Urban Management Associates.

Excitingly, the Foundation was just awarded a $200,000 State Historical Fund grant to develop architectural and engineering documents critical to a solid rehabilitation. The National Trust matched a portion of the grant with a $10,000 award from the National Preservation Fund.

Although much work is yet to be done to rehabilitate the building, the City and Foundation have already achieved great success in securing a solid future for the Tabor Opera House. Be sure to follow their progress via their website.

The Tabor Opera House National Treasure recently reached another major milestone with the completion of a market and use feasibility study by Denver-based Progressive Urban Management Associates. The study provides critical direction for the rehabilitation and sustainable use of the National Historic Landmark in Leadville, Colorado. Funded by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and Colorado Department of Local Affairs, the report provides a roadmap for operating the opera house for the long-term. It recommends a mixed-use approach that includes the theatre as the signature space complemented by retail, office and special events rentals in the storefronts, second floor suites and ballroom. The estimated rehabilitation cost is approximately $8 million.

On the heels of another successful summer season of live entertainment at the opera house, the Tabor Opera House Preservation Foundation and City of Leadville have already launched into the next project phase to fundraise for the building rehabilitation and operations. The National Trust continues to provide support to ensure the Tabor Opera House has the necessary resources to make this amazing project a reality for the community of Leadville and Lake County. You can help support our efforts through an online donation.

Though the Tabor Opera House in Leadville, Colorado, is closed for the winter, our work at this National Treasure hasn’t slowed down a bit! As of November 11, the City of Leadville officially purchased the Tabor from its long-time steward Sharon Bland. Sharon’s mother, Evelyn Furman, bought the Tabor in 1955, saving it from demolition, and it has remained in the family for three generations.

This is a major step forward in the work of the National Trust and our partners to identify a sustainable use for the Tabor as both an entertainment venue and a valued community asset. Over the next few months, a market and use feasibility study for the opera house will be undertaken. Supported by a National Trust grant through the Hart Family Fund, these thoughtful and thorough planning documents will be used to guide a successful building rehabilitation and reactivation of the storied theater.

Stay on the lookout for opportunities to take part in this exciting process and more information about summer 2017 activities! To learn more about our work, please visit the websites of the National Trust and the City of Leadville.

The Colorado Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) has awarded the City of Leadville a grant equaling half the $600,000 price tag for the property. This is a monumental development in the City’s quest to acquire the property from the private owner and breathe new life into it as a community centerpiece for entertainment and gathering. The award includes an additional $15,000 to assist in the development of a market and use feasibility study to identify a sustainable future for the National Treasure.

This level of support brings the City’s fundraising efforts for the purchase nearly to a close and completes fundraising for the feasibility study. Funds from History Colorado’s State Historical Fund, El Pomar Foundation, Boettcher Foundation, National Trust for Historic Preservation, and private individuals are providing matching dollars. Transferring ownership of the National Historic Landmark property to the City is a significant milestone for this ambitious project, bringing it one giant step closer to once again making the Tabor Opera House a vibrant contributor to Leadville’s historic downtown.

The Silver Circuit has returned to Colorado. In the late 1880s, Peter McCourt established the circuit as a way for acts to travel the region and perform in various opera houses and theaters. McCourt was the manager of the Tabor Opera House in Leadville, assistant manager of the (now demolished) Tabor Grand Opera House in Denver, and Baby Doe’s (Horace Tabor’s second wife) older brother. The original Silver Circuit ran from 1890 to 1944.

Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper and the Colorado Creative Industries are keen to see the Silver Circuit revived as a way to showcase the excellent musical talent and amazing venues in Colorado—the state with the highest concentration of music venues, musicians and independent radio stations in the country. 2016 is the pilot year for the Silver Circuit, with tour stops in Leadville on the stage of the famous Tabor Opera House, Trinidad and Steamboat Springs at the Chief Theater.

The Silver Circuit will serve as a fundraiser with proceeds going toward the historic theaters involved that are in the throes of renovations to once again become cultural centers for their communities.

Colorado band King Cardinal is piloting the tour. They have a strong following in the state and are extremely proud of their Colorado roots. The Silver Circuit Summer Tour will get jumpstarted at Leadville’s Tabor Opera House on Saturday, July 23. Tickets can be purchased online or at the door.

Support a vibrant new future for the Tabor Opera House by attending this event and others supported by the Silver Circuit!