Barre Opera House
History :
After the original Barre City Hall/Barre Opera House building was destroyed by fire in 1898, the current building was erected on the same site. The new Opera House, considered to be the finest in Vermont, seated 1,000 patrons and opened on August 23, 1899.For its first 45 years, the Opera House served as performance space and community gathering site for such important events as the appearances of Helen Keller, socialist Eugene Debs, George M. Cohan and his family, anarchist Emma Goldman, John Philip Sousa and his band, Tom Mix and his horse. In 1912, the Opera House’s outer balcony served as a political soapbox for President William Howard Taft and as a backdrop for a Barre rally featuring former President Theodore Roosevelt. Through the 1930s and 40s the Opera House functioned primarily as a movie theater with occasional breaks in the schedule for variety shows, boxing and wrestling matches. However, with the addition of more modern movie theaters in town, the Barre Opera House doors closed in January, 1944, not to open again for almost 40 years.Starting in the mid-seventies, a groundswell of community interest and support culminated in the re-opening of the Opera House in October of 1982, in spite of the dingy walls, broken windows, lack of proper seats and heating.Since then, the Barre Opera House has continued its work towards complete restoration and renovation. One year it was the installation of a heating system, the next came theater chairs on the main floor. Curtains, stage lights and other amenities were gradually added as the community contributed the time, talents and financial resources necessary. Increased usage and attendance led to our most major capital construction project completed in 1993. This community-funded, million dollar project included the installation of an elevator, making us physically accessible to the box office, lobby, stage and dressing rooms, and the re-installation of seating in the balcony, raising our seating capacity by 50% to 649.The work didn’t stop there. In the years since, we have added an infrared listening system for the hearing impaired, a full service box office, and have installed a state of the art heating, ventilating and air conditioning system, built to exceptional standards to maintain the acoustical purity of the theater. In the summer of 2005, we began a complete overhaul of our theatrical lighting system, beginning with the replacement of our electrical wiring and the project was completed in 2006. 2008 saw the installation a brass railing around the perimeter of the orchestra pit and the replacement of brass rails in the opera boxes that went missing during the theater’s period of disuse. In 2010, we sound-proofed the theater from the busy downtown streetscape by adding interior storm windows. We’re currently illuminating the beautiful balcony stained glass window to make it visible from the outside of the building. On the horizon are stage rigging improvements and reupholstering of the orchestra section seating in rich burgundy to complete the color scheme throughout the theater.The ongoing mission to restore and operate this historic facility is only possible through the continued support of our community, which views its financial contributions to the Barre Opera House as an investment in the historic and cultural quality of life in central Vermont. To date, this dedicated community of individuals, organizations and businesses has contributed close to two million dollars to the re-birth of this historic treasure.More than 20,000 people visit the Barre Opera House annually, attending performing arts rehearsals and events, public forums, corporate and private functions and community meetings. We serve a broad range of ages, both as audience members and performers, and people travel from all over the state to participate in events held at the Opera House. We host student matinees, where bus-loads of school children are brought in to experience live performing arts first-hand, and we provide space for local school children and student musicians to perform their own productions. In addition to central Vermont youth and adults, we serve a growing number of our seniors, as we present more and more afternoon matinees. And, as the Opera House is accessible to those with physical and hearing disabilities, we are serving a large community of people with special needs.In addition to this wide variety of patrons, the Opera House provides a much needed performance space for many Vermont arts groups. The Opera House is home to the Vermont Philharmonic and The Barre Players. We are the central Vermont performance venue for the Vermont Symphony and our lobby offers a rotating gallery space dedicated to featuring local artists. In addition, many non-profit organizations use the Opera House for fund-raisers, public forums and special functions, and they, along with numerous others, benefit from every improvement made to the facility.
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AARP Events for Barre
AARP Events for Barre
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Featured Event
Hand-Built Ceramic Mugs Workshop, Session 1
Wednesday, Dec 11, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. ET
CraftStudies
Hartford, VT
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Hand-Built Ceramic Mugs Workshop, Session 2
Wednesday, Dec 11, 2024 at 2:00 p.m. ET
CraftStudies
Hartford, VT
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Beginners Pickleball Clinic
Wednesday, Jan 8, 2025 at 1:00 p.m. ET
Catamount Pickleball
South Burlington, VT
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"Resource/aarp2_master.footer.html");$viewFile = '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp' $dataForView = array( 'content_for_layout' => '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">Barre Opera House</h1></header> <div class="row"> <div class="col-sm-6 left module-spacer"> <p> <div> <div>6 North Main Street</div> <div> <span>Barre</span>, <span>VT</span> <span>05641</span> </div> </div> </p> <div> <i class="fa fa-external-link-square"></i> <a href="http://www.barreoperahouse.org/" target="_blank">Barre Opera House</a> </div> <div><i class="fa fa-phone-square"></i> 802-476-0292</div> </div> <div class="col-sm-6 module-spacer"> <iframe width="100%" height="220" frameborder="0" style="border:0" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed/v1/place?key=AIzaSyCU5aZylcrTOLke9e3U0F2mXovlZ4bL8yk&q=Barre+Opera+House%2C+6+North+Main+Street%2C+Barre%2C+VT+05641" allowfullscreen> </iframe> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer clearfix"> <p>History : </p> <p>After the original Barre City Hall/Barre Opera House building was destroyed by fire in 1898, the current building was erected on the same site. The new Opera House, considered to be the finest in Vermont, seated 1,000 patrons and opened on August 23, 1899.For its first 45 years, the Opera House served as performance space and community gathering site for such important events as the appearances of Helen Keller, socialist Eugene Debs, George M. Cohan and his family, anarchist Emma Goldman, John Philip Sousa and his band, Tom Mix and his horse. In 1912, the Opera House’s outer balcony served as a political soapbox for President William Howard Taft and as a backdrop for a Barre rally featuring former President Theodore Roosevelt. Through the 1930s and 40s the Opera House functioned primarily as a movie theater with occasional breaks in the schedule for variety shows, boxing and wrestling matches. However, with the addition of more modern movie theaters in town, the Barre Opera House doors closed in January, 1944, not to open again for almost 40 years.Starting in the mid-seventies, a groundswell of community interest and support culminated in the re-opening of the Opera House in October of 1982, in spite of the dingy walls, broken windows, lack of proper seats and heating.Since then, the Barre Opera House has continued its work towards complete restoration and renovation. One year it was the installation of a heating system, the next came theater chairs on the main floor. Curtains, stage lights and other amenities were gradually added as the community contributed the time, talents and financial resources necessary. Increased usage and attendance led to our most major capital construction project completed in 1993. This community-funded, million dollar project included the installation of an elevator, making us physically accessible to the box office, lobby, stage and dressing rooms, and the re-installation of seating in the balcony, raising our seating capacity by 50% to 649.The work didn’t stop there. In the years since, we have added an infrared listening system for the hearing impaired, a full service box office, and have installed a state of the art heating, ventilating and air conditioning system, built to exceptional standards to maintain the acoustical purity of the theater. In the summer of 2005, we began a complete overhaul of our theatrical lighting system, beginning with the replacement of our electrical wiring and the project was completed in 2006. 2008 saw the installation a brass railing around the perimeter of the orchestra pit and the replacement of brass rails in the opera boxes that went missing during the theater’s period of disuse. In 2010, we sound-proofed the theater from the busy downtown streetscape by adding interior storm windows. We’re currently illuminating the beautiful balcony stained glass window to make it visible from the outside of the building. On the horizon are stage rigging improvements and reupholstering of the orchestra section seating in rich burgundy to complete the color scheme throughout the theater.The ongoing mission to restore and operate this historic facility is only possible through the continued support of our community, which views its financial contributions to the Barre Opera House as an investment in the historic and cultural quality of life in central Vermont. To date, this dedicated community of individuals, organizations and businesses has contributed close to two million dollars to the re-birth of this historic treasure.More than 20,000 people visit the Barre Opera House annually, attending performing arts rehearsals and events, public forums, corporate and private functions and community meetings. We serve a broad range of ages, both as audience members and performers, and people travel from all over the state to participate in events held at the Opera House. We host student matinees, where bus-loads of school children are brought in to experience live performing arts first-hand, and we provide space for local school children and student musicians to perform their own productions. In addition to central Vermont youth and adults, we serve a growing number of our seniors, as we present more and more afternoon matinees. And, as the Opera House is accessible to those with physical and hearing disabilities, we are serving a large community of people with special needs.In addition to this wide variety of patrons, the Opera House provides a much needed performance space for many Vermont arts groups. The Opera House is home to the Vermont Philharmonic and The Barre Players. We are the central Vermont performance venue for the Vermont Symphony and our lobby offers a rotating gallery space dedicated to featuring local artists. In addition, many non-profit organizations use the Opera House for fund-raisers, public forums and special functions, and they, along with numerous others, benefit from every improvement made to the facility.</p> </div> <div class="reportthis" style="margin-bottom: 20px;"> <form method="post" action="/barre-vt/report/place/barre-opera-house-barre-vt.html"> <button type="submit" class="btn btnregister pull-right" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">Flag This Place</button> </form> </div> <div class="report_button_message">Please use "Flag This Place" to alert us about content that is inappropriate or needs immediate attention. Nothing you submit will be shared with other site visitors. </div> <style> .report_button_message { color: #333; font-size: 12px; clear: both; } </style> </div> </div> </div><div class="module clearfix"><div class="module-spacer tout-homefit-750"> <a data-formelementid="CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024" href="/barre-vt/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024"><img class="img-responsive" alt="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" title="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/touts/HomeFit_750x150.png"></a> </div></div></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail thin-rhs"><div class="module clearfix"><!--default--> <!-- module_RHS - AARP Events --> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <div class="pull-right"> <a href="/barre-vt/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS"> <img style="width:30px;" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/icons/aarp_event_icon.png" alt="Upcoming AARP Events" /> </a> </div> <h2 class="visible-lg">AARP Events for Barre</h2> <h2 class="hidden-lg">AARP Events for Barre</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-listing snippet"> <ul class="list"> <li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-vt-handbuilt-ceramic-mugs-workshop-session-1-white-river-jct-vt-121124-46nz86xt5cq.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-HANDBUILT-CERAMIC-MUGS-WORKSHOP-SESSION-1">Hand-Built Ceramic Mugs Workshop, Session 1</a></h2> <p class="time">Wednesday, Dec 11, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">CraftStudies</p> <p class="loc">Hartford, VT</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-vt-handbuilt-ceramic-mugs-workshop-session-2-white-river-jct-vt-121124-f5n4b45xyty.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-HANDBUILT-CERAMIC-MUGS-WORKSHOP-SESSION-2">Hand-Built Ceramic Mugs Workshop, Session 2</a></h2> <p class="time">Wednesday, Dec 11, 2024 at 2:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">CraftStudies</p> <p class="loc">Hartford, VT</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-vt-beginners-pickleball-clinic-south-burlington-vt-1825-8jnhrtcnck5.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-BEGINNERS-PICKLEBALL-CLINIC">Beginners Pickleball Clinic</a></h2> <p class="time">Wednesday, Jan 8, 2025 at 1:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Catamount Pickleball</p> <p class="loc">South Burlington, VT</p> </li> </ul> <p><a class="link-red" href="/barre-vt/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS">View All AARP Events<i class="ml-1 fas fa-chevron-right"></i></a></p> </div> </div> </div> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_53475" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_53475', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="card-tout card-dark membership-tout" style="margin:0 0 30px 0;"> <img class="img-responsive image" title="image of two AARP membership cards" alt="image of two AARP membership cards" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/tout-two-cards.png"> <div class="title">Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal</div> <ul class="list"> <li>Immediate access to your <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/">member benefits</a></li> <li>Discounts on travel and everyday savings</li> <li>Subscription to AARP The Magazine</li> <li>FREE second membership</li> </ul> <div class="action"> <a class="btn" href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/join?campaignid=UAJFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-BARRE-VT">Join AARP</a> <div class="body">Already a member? 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The"/> <meta name="twitter:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/> <meta property="og:type" content="place"/> <meta property="og:title" content="Barre Opera House"/> <meta property="og:description" content="History : After the original Barre City Hall/Barre Opera House building was destroyed by fire in 1898, the current building was erected on the same site. The"/> <meta property="og:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/> <meta property="place:location:latitude" content="44.1968"/> <meta property="place:location:longitude" content="-72.501701"/> ', 'title_for_layout' => 'Place Detail - AARP' ) $content_for_layout = '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">Barre Opera House</h1></header> <div class="row"> <div class="col-sm-6 left module-spacer"> <p> <div> <div>6 North Main Street</div> <div> <span>Barre</span>, <span>VT</span> <span>05641</span> </div> </div> </p> <div> <i class="fa fa-external-link-square"></i> <a href="http://www.barreoperahouse.org/" target="_blank">Barre Opera House</a> </div> <div><i class="fa fa-phone-square"></i> 802-476-0292</div> </div> <div class="col-sm-6 module-spacer"> <iframe width="100%" height="220" frameborder="0" style="border:0" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed/v1/place?key=AIzaSyCU5aZylcrTOLke9e3U0F2mXovlZ4bL8yk&q=Barre+Opera+House%2C+6+North+Main+Street%2C+Barre%2C+VT+05641" allowfullscreen> </iframe> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer clearfix"> <p>History : </p> <p>After the original Barre City Hall/Barre Opera House building was destroyed by fire in 1898, the current building was erected on the same site. The new Opera House, considered to be the finest in Vermont, seated 1,000 patrons and opened on August 23, 1899.For its first 45 years, the Opera House served as performance space and community gathering site for such important events as the appearances of Helen Keller, socialist Eugene Debs, George M. Cohan and his family, anarchist Emma Goldman, John Philip Sousa and his band, Tom Mix and his horse. In 1912, the Opera House’s outer balcony served as a political soapbox for President William Howard Taft and as a backdrop for a Barre rally featuring former President Theodore Roosevelt. Through the 1930s and 40s the Opera House functioned primarily as a movie theater with occasional breaks in the schedule for variety shows, boxing and wrestling matches. However, with the addition of more modern movie theaters in town, the Barre Opera House doors closed in January, 1944, not to open again for almost 40 years.Starting in the mid-seventies, a groundswell of community interest and support culminated in the re-opening of the Opera House in October of 1982, in spite of the dingy walls, broken windows, lack of proper seats and heating.Since then, the Barre Opera House has continued its work towards complete restoration and renovation. One year it was the installation of a heating system, the next came theater chairs on the main floor. Curtains, stage lights and other amenities were gradually added as the community contributed the time, talents and financial resources necessary. Increased usage and attendance led to our most major capital construction project completed in 1993. This community-funded, million dollar project included the installation of an elevator, making us physically accessible to the box office, lobby, stage and dressing rooms, and the re-installation of seating in the balcony, raising our seating capacity by 50% to 649.The work didn’t stop there. In the years since, we have added an infrared listening system for the hearing impaired, a full service box office, and have installed a state of the art heating, ventilating and air conditioning system, built to exceptional standards to maintain the acoustical purity of the theater. In the summer of 2005, we began a complete overhaul of our theatrical lighting system, beginning with the replacement of our electrical wiring and the project was completed in 2006. 2008 saw the installation a brass railing around the perimeter of the orchestra pit and the replacement of brass rails in the opera boxes that went missing during the theater’s period of disuse. In 2010, we sound-proofed the theater from the busy downtown streetscape by adding interior storm windows. We’re currently illuminating the beautiful balcony stained glass window to make it visible from the outside of the building. On the horizon are stage rigging improvements and reupholstering of the orchestra section seating in rich burgundy to complete the color scheme throughout the theater.The ongoing mission to restore and operate this historic facility is only possible through the continued support of our community, which views its financial contributions to the Barre Opera House as an investment in the historic and cultural quality of life in central Vermont. To date, this dedicated community of individuals, organizations and businesses has contributed close to two million dollars to the re-birth of this historic treasure.More than 20,000 people visit the Barre Opera House annually, attending performing arts rehearsals and events, public forums, corporate and private functions and community meetings. We serve a broad range of ages, both as audience members and performers, and people travel from all over the state to participate in events held at the Opera House. We host student matinees, where bus-loads of school children are brought in to experience live performing arts first-hand, and we provide space for local school children and student musicians to perform their own productions. In addition to central Vermont youth and adults, we serve a growing number of our seniors, as we present more and more afternoon matinees. And, as the Opera House is accessible to those with physical and hearing disabilities, we are serving a large community of people with special needs.In addition to this wide variety of patrons, the Opera House provides a much needed performance space for many Vermont arts groups. The Opera House is home to the Vermont Philharmonic and The Barre Players. We are the central Vermont performance venue for the Vermont Symphony and our lobby offers a rotating gallery space dedicated to featuring local artists. In addition, many non-profit organizations use the Opera House for fund-raisers, public forums and special functions, and they, along with numerous others, benefit from every improvement made to the facility.</p> </div> <div class="reportthis" style="margin-bottom: 20px;"> <form method="post" action="/barre-vt/report/place/barre-opera-house-barre-vt.html"> <button type="submit" class="btn btnregister pull-right" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">Flag This Place</button> </form> </div> <div class="report_button_message">Please use "Flag This Place" to alert us about content that is inappropriate or needs immediate attention. Nothing you submit will be shared with other site visitors. </div> <style> .report_button_message { color: #333; font-size: 12px; clear: both; } </style> </div> </div> </div><div class="module clearfix"><div class="module-spacer tout-homefit-750"> <a data-formelementid="CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024" href="/barre-vt/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024"><img class="img-responsive" alt="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" title="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/touts/HomeFit_750x150.png"></a> </div></div></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail thin-rhs"><div class="module clearfix"><!--default--> <!-- module_RHS - AARP Events --> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <div class="pull-right"> <a href="/barre-vt/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS"> <img style="width:30px;" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/icons/aarp_event_icon.png" alt="Upcoming AARP Events" /> </a> </div> <h2 class="visible-lg">AARP Events for Barre</h2> <h2 class="hidden-lg">AARP Events for Barre</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-listing snippet"> <ul class="list"> <li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-vt-handbuilt-ceramic-mugs-workshop-session-1-white-river-jct-vt-121124-46nz86xt5cq.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-HANDBUILT-CERAMIC-MUGS-WORKSHOP-SESSION-1">Hand-Built Ceramic Mugs Workshop, Session 1</a></h2> <p class="time">Wednesday, Dec 11, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">CraftStudies</p> <p class="loc">Hartford, VT</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-vt-handbuilt-ceramic-mugs-workshop-session-2-white-river-jct-vt-121124-f5n4b45xyty.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-HANDBUILT-CERAMIC-MUGS-WORKSHOP-SESSION-2">Hand-Built Ceramic Mugs Workshop, Session 2</a></h2> <p class="time">Wednesday, Dec 11, 2024 at 2:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">CraftStudies</p> <p class="loc">Hartford, VT</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-vt-beginners-pickleball-clinic-south-burlington-vt-1825-8jnhrtcnck5.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-BEGINNERS-PICKLEBALL-CLINIC">Beginners Pickleball Clinic</a></h2> <p class="time">Wednesday, Jan 8, 2025 at 1:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Catamount Pickleball</p> <p class="loc">South Burlington, VT</p> </li> </ul> <p><a class="link-red" href="/barre-vt/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS">View All AARP Events<i class="ml-1 fas fa-chevron-right"></i></a></p> </div> </div> </div> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_53475" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_53475', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="card-tout card-dark membership-tout" style="margin:0 0 30px 0;"> <img class="img-responsive image" title="image of two AARP membership cards" alt="image of two AARP membership cards" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/tout-two-cards.png"> <div class="title">Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal</div> <ul class="list"> <li>Immediate access to your <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/">member benefits</a></li> <li>Discounts on travel and everyday savings</li> <li>Subscription to AARP The Magazine</li> <li>FREE second membership</li> </ul> <div class="action"> <a class="btn" href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/join?campaignid=UAJFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-BARRE-VT">Join AARP</a> <div class="body">Already a member? 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Warning (2): include() [<a href='http://php.net/function.include'>function.include</a>]: Failed opening '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/Resource/aarp2_master.footer.html' for inclusion (include_path='/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/lib:.:/usr/share/pear:/usr/share/php') [APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 242]Code Context<?php // if (!$nowrapper) (Globals::$language == 'es') ? include(APP . "/Resource/aarpe_footer_es.html") : include(APP . "/Resource/aarpe_footer.html"); ?><?php if (!$nowrapper): // MLW - Spanish wrappers TBDinclude (APP . "Resource/aarp2_master.footer.html");$viewFile = '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp' $dataForView = array( 'content_for_layout' => '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">Barre Opera House</h1></header> <div class="row"> <div class="col-sm-6 left module-spacer"> <p> <div> <div>6 North Main Street</div> <div> <span>Barre</span>, <span>VT</span> <span>05641</span> </div> </div> </p> <div> <i class="fa fa-external-link-square"></i> <a href="http://www.barreoperahouse.org/" target="_blank">Barre Opera House</a> </div> <div><i class="fa fa-phone-square"></i> 802-476-0292</div> </div> <div class="col-sm-6 module-spacer"> <iframe width="100%" height="220" frameborder="0" style="border:0" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed/v1/place?key=AIzaSyCU5aZylcrTOLke9e3U0F2mXovlZ4bL8yk&q=Barre+Opera+House%2C+6+North+Main+Street%2C+Barre%2C+VT+05641" allowfullscreen> </iframe> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer clearfix"> <p>History : </p> <p>After the original Barre City Hall/Barre Opera House building was destroyed by fire in 1898, the current building was erected on the same site. The new Opera House, considered to be the finest in Vermont, seated 1,000 patrons and opened on August 23, 1899.For its first 45 years, the Opera House served as performance space and community gathering site for such important events as the appearances of Helen Keller, socialist Eugene Debs, George M. Cohan and his family, anarchist Emma Goldman, John Philip Sousa and his band, Tom Mix and his horse. In 1912, the Opera House’s outer balcony served as a political soapbox for President William Howard Taft and as a backdrop for a Barre rally featuring former President Theodore Roosevelt. Through the 1930s and 40s the Opera House functioned primarily as a movie theater with occasional breaks in the schedule for variety shows, boxing and wrestling matches. However, with the addition of more modern movie theaters in town, the Barre Opera House doors closed in January, 1944, not to open again for almost 40 years.Starting in the mid-seventies, a groundswell of community interest and support culminated in the re-opening of the Opera House in October of 1982, in spite of the dingy walls, broken windows, lack of proper seats and heating.Since then, the Barre Opera House has continued its work towards complete restoration and renovation. One year it was the installation of a heating system, the next came theater chairs on the main floor. Curtains, stage lights and other amenities were gradually added as the community contributed the time, talents and financial resources necessary. Increased usage and attendance led to our most major capital construction project completed in 1993. This community-funded, million dollar project included the installation of an elevator, making us physically accessible to the box office, lobby, stage and dressing rooms, and the re-installation of seating in the balcony, raising our seating capacity by 50% to 649.The work didn’t stop there. In the years since, we have added an infrared listening system for the hearing impaired, a full service box office, and have installed a state of the art heating, ventilating and air conditioning system, built to exceptional standards to maintain the acoustical purity of the theater. In the summer of 2005, we began a complete overhaul of our theatrical lighting system, beginning with the replacement of our electrical wiring and the project was completed in 2006. 2008 saw the installation a brass railing around the perimeter of the orchestra pit and the replacement of brass rails in the opera boxes that went missing during the theater’s period of disuse. In 2010, we sound-proofed the theater from the busy downtown streetscape by adding interior storm windows. We’re currently illuminating the beautiful balcony stained glass window to make it visible from the outside of the building. On the horizon are stage rigging improvements and reupholstering of the orchestra section seating in rich burgundy to complete the color scheme throughout the theater.The ongoing mission to restore and operate this historic facility is only possible through the continued support of our community, which views its financial contributions to the Barre Opera House as an investment in the historic and cultural quality of life in central Vermont. To date, this dedicated community of individuals, organizations and businesses has contributed close to two million dollars to the re-birth of this historic treasure.More than 20,000 people visit the Barre Opera House annually, attending performing arts rehearsals and events, public forums, corporate and private functions and community meetings. We serve a broad range of ages, both as audience members and performers, and people travel from all over the state to participate in events held at the Opera House. We host student matinees, where bus-loads of school children are brought in to experience live performing arts first-hand, and we provide space for local school children and student musicians to perform their own productions. In addition to central Vermont youth and adults, we serve a growing number of our seniors, as we present more and more afternoon matinees. And, as the Opera House is accessible to those with physical and hearing disabilities, we are serving a large community of people with special needs.In addition to this wide variety of patrons, the Opera House provides a much needed performance space for many Vermont arts groups. The Opera House is home to the Vermont Philharmonic and The Barre Players. We are the central Vermont performance venue for the Vermont Symphony and our lobby offers a rotating gallery space dedicated to featuring local artists. In addition, many non-profit organizations use the Opera House for fund-raisers, public forums and special functions, and they, along with numerous others, benefit from every improvement made to the facility.</p> </div> <div class="reportthis" style="margin-bottom: 20px;"> <form method="post" action="/barre-vt/report/place/barre-opera-house-barre-vt.html"> <button type="submit" class="btn btnregister pull-right" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">Flag This Place</button> </form> </div> <div class="report_button_message">Please use "Flag This Place" to alert us about content that is inappropriate or needs immediate attention. Nothing you submit will be shared with other site visitors. </div> <style> .report_button_message { color: #333; font-size: 12px; clear: both; } </style> </div> </div> </div><div class="module clearfix"><div class="module-spacer tout-homefit-750"> <a data-formelementid="CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024" href="/barre-vt/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024"><img class="img-responsive" alt="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" title="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/touts/HomeFit_750x150.png"></a> </div></div></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail thin-rhs"><div class="module clearfix"><!--default--> <!-- module_RHS - AARP Events --> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <div class="pull-right"> <a href="/barre-vt/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS"> <img style="width:30px;" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/icons/aarp_event_icon.png" alt="Upcoming AARP Events" /> </a> </div> <h2 class="visible-lg">AARP Events for Barre</h2> <h2 class="hidden-lg">AARP Events for Barre</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-listing snippet"> <ul class="list"> <li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-vt-handbuilt-ceramic-mugs-workshop-session-1-white-river-jct-vt-121124-46nz86xt5cq.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-HANDBUILT-CERAMIC-MUGS-WORKSHOP-SESSION-1">Hand-Built Ceramic Mugs Workshop, Session 1</a></h2> <p class="time">Wednesday, Dec 11, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">CraftStudies</p> <p class="loc">Hartford, VT</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-vt-handbuilt-ceramic-mugs-workshop-session-2-white-river-jct-vt-121124-f5n4b45xyty.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-HANDBUILT-CERAMIC-MUGS-WORKSHOP-SESSION-2">Hand-Built Ceramic Mugs Workshop, Session 2</a></h2> <p class="time">Wednesday, Dec 11, 2024 at 2:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">CraftStudies</p> <p class="loc">Hartford, VT</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-vt-beginners-pickleball-clinic-south-burlington-vt-1825-8jnhrtcnck5.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-BEGINNERS-PICKLEBALL-CLINIC">Beginners Pickleball Clinic</a></h2> <p class="time">Wednesday, Jan 8, 2025 at 1:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Catamount Pickleball</p> <p class="loc">South Burlington, VT</p> </li> </ul> <p><a class="link-red" href="/barre-vt/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS">View All AARP Events<i class="ml-1 fas fa-chevron-right"></i></a></p> </div> </div> </div> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_53475" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_53475', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="card-tout card-dark membership-tout" style="margin:0 0 30px 0;"> <img class="img-responsive image" title="image of two AARP membership cards" alt="image of two AARP membership cards" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/tout-two-cards.png"> <div class="title">Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal</div> <ul class="list"> <li>Immediate access to your <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/">member benefits</a></li> <li>Discounts on travel and everyday savings</li> <li>Subscription to AARP The Magazine</li> <li>FREE second membership</li> </ul> <div class="action"> <a class="btn" href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/join?campaignid=UAJFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-BARRE-VT">Join AARP</a> <div class="body">Already a member? 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The" name="description"/> <meta content="Barre, Opera, House, VT" name="keywords"/> <link rel="canonical" href="https://www.americantowns.com/place/barre-opera-house-barre-vt.html" /> <meta property="og:url" content="https://vccstaging.local.aarp.org/place/barre-opera-house-barre-vt.html"/> <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image"/> <meta name="twitter:title" content="Barre Opera House"/> <meta name="twitter:description" content="History : After the original Barre City Hall/Barre Opera House building was destroyed by fire in 1898, the current building was erected on the same site. 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The"/> <meta property="og:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/> <meta property="place:location:latitude" content="44.1968"/> <meta property="place:location:longitude" content="-72.501701"/> ', 'title_for_layout' => 'Place Detail - AARP' ) $content_for_layout = '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">Barre Opera House</h1></header> <div class="row"> <div class="col-sm-6 left module-spacer"> <p> <div> <div>6 North Main Street</div> <div> <span>Barre</span>, <span>VT</span> <span>05641</span> </div> </div> </p> <div> <i class="fa fa-external-link-square"></i> <a href="http://www.barreoperahouse.org/" target="_blank">Barre Opera House</a> </div> <div><i class="fa fa-phone-square"></i> 802-476-0292</div> </div> <div class="col-sm-6 module-spacer"> <iframe width="100%" height="220" frameborder="0" style="border:0" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed/v1/place?key=AIzaSyCU5aZylcrTOLke9e3U0F2mXovlZ4bL8yk&q=Barre+Opera+House%2C+6+North+Main+Street%2C+Barre%2C+VT+05641" allowfullscreen> </iframe> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer clearfix"> <p>History : </p> <p>After the original Barre City Hall/Barre Opera House building was destroyed by fire in 1898, the current building was erected on the same site. The new Opera House, considered to be the finest in Vermont, seated 1,000 patrons and opened on August 23, 1899.For its first 45 years, the Opera House served as performance space and community gathering site for such important events as the appearances of Helen Keller, socialist Eugene Debs, George M. Cohan and his family, anarchist Emma Goldman, John Philip Sousa and his band, Tom Mix and his horse. In 1912, the Opera House’s outer balcony served as a political soapbox for President William Howard Taft and as a backdrop for a Barre rally featuring former President Theodore Roosevelt. Through the 1930s and 40s the Opera House functioned primarily as a movie theater with occasional breaks in the schedule for variety shows, boxing and wrestling matches. However, with the addition of more modern movie theaters in town, the Barre Opera House doors closed in January, 1944, not to open again for almost 40 years.Starting in the mid-seventies, a groundswell of community interest and support culminated in the re-opening of the Opera House in October of 1982, in spite of the dingy walls, broken windows, lack of proper seats and heating.Since then, the Barre Opera House has continued its work towards complete restoration and renovation. One year it was the installation of a heating system, the next came theater chairs on the main floor. Curtains, stage lights and other amenities were gradually added as the community contributed the time, talents and financial resources necessary. Increased usage and attendance led to our most major capital construction project completed in 1993. This community-funded, million dollar project included the installation of an elevator, making us physically accessible to the box office, lobby, stage and dressing rooms, and the re-installation of seating in the balcony, raising our seating capacity by 50% to 649.The work didn’t stop there. In the years since, we have added an infrared listening system for the hearing impaired, a full service box office, and have installed a state of the art heating, ventilating and air conditioning system, built to exceptional standards to maintain the acoustical purity of the theater. In the summer of 2005, we began a complete overhaul of our theatrical lighting system, beginning with the replacement of our electrical wiring and the project was completed in 2006. 2008 saw the installation a brass railing around the perimeter of the orchestra pit and the replacement of brass rails in the opera boxes that went missing during the theater’s period of disuse. In 2010, we sound-proofed the theater from the busy downtown streetscape by adding interior storm windows. We’re currently illuminating the beautiful balcony stained glass window to make it visible from the outside of the building. On the horizon are stage rigging improvements and reupholstering of the orchestra section seating in rich burgundy to complete the color scheme throughout the theater.The ongoing mission to restore and operate this historic facility is only possible through the continued support of our community, which views its financial contributions to the Barre Opera House as an investment in the historic and cultural quality of life in central Vermont. To date, this dedicated community of individuals, organizations and businesses has contributed close to two million dollars to the re-birth of this historic treasure.More than 20,000 people visit the Barre Opera House annually, attending performing arts rehearsals and events, public forums, corporate and private functions and community meetings. We serve a broad range of ages, both as audience members and performers, and people travel from all over the state to participate in events held at the Opera House. We host student matinees, where bus-loads of school children are brought in to experience live performing arts first-hand, and we provide space for local school children and student musicians to perform their own productions. In addition to central Vermont youth and adults, we serve a growing number of our seniors, as we present more and more afternoon matinees. And, as the Opera House is accessible to those with physical and hearing disabilities, we are serving a large community of people with special needs.In addition to this wide variety of patrons, the Opera House provides a much needed performance space for many Vermont arts groups. The Opera House is home to the Vermont Philharmonic and The Barre Players. We are the central Vermont performance venue for the Vermont Symphony and our lobby offers a rotating gallery space dedicated to featuring local artists. In addition, many non-profit organizations use the Opera House for fund-raisers, public forums and special functions, and they, along with numerous others, benefit from every improvement made to the facility.</p> </div> <div class="reportthis" style="margin-bottom: 20px;"> <form method="post" action="/barre-vt/report/place/barre-opera-house-barre-vt.html"> <button type="submit" class="btn btnregister pull-right" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">Flag This Place</button> </form> </div> <div class="report_button_message">Please use "Flag This Place" to alert us about content that is inappropriate or needs immediate attention. Nothing you submit will be shared with other site visitors. </div> <style> .report_button_message { color: #333; font-size: 12px; clear: both; } </style> </div> </div> </div><div class="module clearfix"><div class="module-spacer tout-homefit-750"> <a data-formelementid="CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024" href="/barre-vt/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024"><img class="img-responsive" alt="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" title="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/touts/HomeFit_750x150.png"></a> </div></div></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail thin-rhs"><div class="module clearfix"><!--default--> <!-- module_RHS - AARP Events --> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <div class="pull-right"> <a href="/barre-vt/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS"> <img style="width:30px;" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/icons/aarp_event_icon.png" alt="Upcoming AARP Events" /> </a> </div> <h2 class="visible-lg">AARP Events for Barre</h2> <h2 class="hidden-lg">AARP Events for Barre</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-listing snippet"> <ul class="list"> <li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-vt-handbuilt-ceramic-mugs-workshop-session-1-white-river-jct-vt-121124-46nz86xt5cq.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-HANDBUILT-CERAMIC-MUGS-WORKSHOP-SESSION-1">Hand-Built Ceramic Mugs Workshop, Session 1</a></h2> <p class="time">Wednesday, Dec 11, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">CraftStudies</p> <p class="loc">Hartford, VT</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-vt-handbuilt-ceramic-mugs-workshop-session-2-white-river-jct-vt-121124-f5n4b45xyty.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-HANDBUILT-CERAMIC-MUGS-WORKSHOP-SESSION-2">Hand-Built Ceramic Mugs Workshop, Session 2</a></h2> <p class="time">Wednesday, Dec 11, 2024 at 2:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">CraftStudies</p> <p class="loc">Hartford, VT</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-vt-beginners-pickleball-clinic-south-burlington-vt-1825-8jnhrtcnck5.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-BEGINNERS-PICKLEBALL-CLINIC">Beginners Pickleball Clinic</a></h2> <p class="time">Wednesday, Jan 8, 2025 at 1:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Catamount Pickleball</p> <p class="loc">South Burlington, VT</p> </li> </ul> <p><a class="link-red" href="/barre-vt/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS">View All AARP Events<i class="ml-1 fas fa-chevron-right"></i></a></p> </div> </div> </div> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_53475" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_53475', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="card-tout card-dark membership-tout" style="margin:0 0 30px 0;"> <img class="img-responsive image" title="image of two AARP membership cards" alt="image of two AARP membership cards" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/tout-two-cards.png"> <div class="title">Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal</div> <ul class="list"> <li>Immediate access to your <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/">member benefits</a></li> <li>Discounts on travel and everyday savings</li> <li>Subscription to AARP The Magazine</li> <li>FREE second membership</li> </ul> <div class="action"> <a class="btn" href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/join?campaignid=UAJFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-BARRE-VT">Join AARP</a> <div class="body">Already a member? 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The"/> <meta property="og:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/> <meta property="place:location:latitude" content="44.1968"/> <meta property="place:location:longitude" content="-72.501701"/> ' $title_for_layout = 'Place Detail - AARP' $asset_version = '230831' $min = true $nowrapper = false $css = '' $highlighting = '' $location = '<a href="/barre-vt/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-HOME">Barre, VT</a>' $no_header = false $header_title = '<a href="/barre-vt/things-to-do/">Places</a>' $header_subtitle = '' $isPR = false $navbar = '<nav class="section" role="button" aria-expanded="false" aria-controls="collapse"> <div class="section-toggle">Sections <i class="fas fa-chevron-down"></i></div> <ul class="secondary-menu" id="secondary-menu" role="menu" aria-busy="true"> <li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/barre-vt/aarp-events/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-OLE" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-EVENTS">Online & Local Events</a> </li> <li role="presentation" class="active"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/barre-vt/things-to-do/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-TTD" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-THINGSTODO">Things to Do</a></li> <li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/barre-vt/happenings/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-NF" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-HAPPENINGS">News Feed</a> </li> <li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/barre-vt/volunteering/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-VOL" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-VOLUNTEERING">Volunteering</a> </li> <li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/barre-vt/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-HC" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-HC">Home & Community</a> </li> <li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/barre-vt/movies/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-MFG" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-MOVIESFORGROWNUPS">Movies for Grownups</a> </li> <li role="presentation" class="more nosep " id="submenu-more"> <span role="menuitem" class="menuitem" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-MORE">More<i class="fas fa-chevron-down"></i></span> <ul class="secondary-submenu animate slide-in" id="secondary-submenu"> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/barre-vt/discounts/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-LO" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-OFFERS">Local Offers</a></li> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/barre-vt/local-resources/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-LR" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-LOCALRESOURCES">Local Resources</a> </li> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/barre-vt/jobs/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-WJ" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-WORK&JOBS">Work & Jobs</a></li> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/barre-vt/events/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-CC" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-EVENTS">Community Calendar</a></li> <!-- <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/barre-vt/healthy-living/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-HEALTHY_LIVING" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-HEALTHY_LIVING">Healthy Living</a></li> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/barre-vt/arts-entertainment/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-ARTS_ENT" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-ARTS_ENT">Arts & Entertainment</a></li> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/barre-vt/museums/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-MUSEUMS" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-MUSEUMS">Museums</a></li> --> </ul> </li> </ul> </nav>' $header_custom = '' $breadcrumbs = array( (int) 0 => array( 'title' => 'Things to Do', 'slug' => 'things-to-do' ) ) $row = array( 'title' => 'Back to Things to Do', 'slug' => 'things-to-do' ) $i = (int) 0include - APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 242 include - APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 242 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::renderLayout() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 546 View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 481 Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 963 AppController::renderPage() - APP/Controller/AppController.php, line 136 PlacesController::display() - APP/Controller/PlacesController.php, line 501 ReflectionMethod::invokeArgs() - [internal], line ?? 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Warning (2): include(/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/Resource/aarp2_master.bodyTargeting.html) [<a href='http://php.net/function.include'>function.include</a>]: failed to open stream: No such file or directory [APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 243]Code Context<?php if (!$nowrapper): // MLW - Spanish wrappers TBDinclude (APP . "Resource/aarp2_master.footer.html");include (APP . "Resource/aarp2_master.bodyTargeting.html");$viewFile = '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp' $dataForView = array( 'content_for_layout' => '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">Barre Opera House</h1></header> <div class="row"> <div class="col-sm-6 left module-spacer"> <p> <div> <div>6 North Main Street</div> <div> <span>Barre</span>, <span>VT</span> <span>05641</span> </div> </div> </p> <div> <i class="fa fa-external-link-square"></i> <a href="http://www.barreoperahouse.org/" target="_blank">Barre Opera House</a> </div> <div><i class="fa fa-phone-square"></i> 802-476-0292</div> </div> <div class="col-sm-6 module-spacer"> <iframe width="100%" height="220" frameborder="0" style="border:0" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed/v1/place?key=AIzaSyCU5aZylcrTOLke9e3U0F2mXovlZ4bL8yk&q=Barre+Opera+House%2C+6+North+Main+Street%2C+Barre%2C+VT+05641" allowfullscreen> </iframe> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer clearfix"> <p>History : </p> <p>After the original Barre City Hall/Barre Opera House building was destroyed by fire in 1898, the current building was erected on the same site. The new Opera House, considered to be the finest in Vermont, seated 1,000 patrons and opened on August 23, 1899.For its first 45 years, the Opera House served as performance space and community gathering site for such important events as the appearances of Helen Keller, socialist Eugene Debs, George M. Cohan and his family, anarchist Emma Goldman, John Philip Sousa and his band, Tom Mix and his horse. In 1912, the Opera House’s outer balcony served as a political soapbox for President William Howard Taft and as a backdrop for a Barre rally featuring former President Theodore Roosevelt. Through the 1930s and 40s the Opera House functioned primarily as a movie theater with occasional breaks in the schedule for variety shows, boxing and wrestling matches. However, with the addition of more modern movie theaters in town, the Barre Opera House doors closed in January, 1944, not to open again for almost 40 years.Starting in the mid-seventies, a groundswell of community interest and support culminated in the re-opening of the Opera House in October of 1982, in spite of the dingy walls, broken windows, lack of proper seats and heating.Since then, the Barre Opera House has continued its work towards complete restoration and renovation. One year it was the installation of a heating system, the next came theater chairs on the main floor. Curtains, stage lights and other amenities were gradually added as the community contributed the time, talents and financial resources necessary. Increased usage and attendance led to our most major capital construction project completed in 1993. This community-funded, million dollar project included the installation of an elevator, making us physically accessible to the box office, lobby, stage and dressing rooms, and the re-installation of seating in the balcony, raising our seating capacity by 50% to 649.The work didn’t stop there. In the years since, we have added an infrared listening system for the hearing impaired, a full service box office, and have installed a state of the art heating, ventilating and air conditioning system, built to exceptional standards to maintain the acoustical purity of the theater. In the summer of 2005, we began a complete overhaul of our theatrical lighting system, beginning with the replacement of our electrical wiring and the project was completed in 2006. 2008 saw the installation a brass railing around the perimeter of the orchestra pit and the replacement of brass rails in the opera boxes that went missing during the theater’s period of disuse. In 2010, we sound-proofed the theater from the busy downtown streetscape by adding interior storm windows. We’re currently illuminating the beautiful balcony stained glass window to make it visible from the outside of the building. On the horizon are stage rigging improvements and reupholstering of the orchestra section seating in rich burgundy to complete the color scheme throughout the theater.The ongoing mission to restore and operate this historic facility is only possible through the continued support of our community, which views its financial contributions to the Barre Opera House as an investment in the historic and cultural quality of life in central Vermont. To date, this dedicated community of individuals, organizations and businesses has contributed close to two million dollars to the re-birth of this historic treasure.More than 20,000 people visit the Barre Opera House annually, attending performing arts rehearsals and events, public forums, corporate and private functions and community meetings. We serve a broad range of ages, both as audience members and performers, and people travel from all over the state to participate in events held at the Opera House. We host student matinees, where bus-loads of school children are brought in to experience live performing arts first-hand, and we provide space for local school children and student musicians to perform their own productions. In addition to central Vermont youth and adults, we serve a growing number of our seniors, as we present more and more afternoon matinees. And, as the Opera House is accessible to those with physical and hearing disabilities, we are serving a large community of people with special needs.In addition to this wide variety of patrons, the Opera House provides a much needed performance space for many Vermont arts groups. The Opera House is home to the Vermont Philharmonic and The Barre Players. We are the central Vermont performance venue for the Vermont Symphony and our lobby offers a rotating gallery space dedicated to featuring local artists. In addition, many non-profit organizations use the Opera House for fund-raisers, public forums and special functions, and they, along with numerous others, benefit from every improvement made to the facility.</p> </div> <div class="reportthis" style="margin-bottom: 20px;"> <form method="post" action="/barre-vt/report/place/barre-opera-house-barre-vt.html"> <button type="submit" class="btn btnregister pull-right" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">Flag This Place</button> </form> </div> <div class="report_button_message">Please use "Flag This Place" to alert us about content that is inappropriate or needs immediate attention. Nothing you submit will be shared with other site visitors. </div> <style> .report_button_message { color: #333; font-size: 12px; clear: both; } </style> </div> </div> </div><div class="module clearfix"><div class="module-spacer tout-homefit-750"> <a data-formelementid="CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024" href="/barre-vt/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024"><img class="img-responsive" alt="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" title="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/touts/HomeFit_750x150.png"></a> </div></div></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail thin-rhs"><div class="module clearfix"><!--default--> <!-- module_RHS - AARP Events --> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <div class="pull-right"> <a href="/barre-vt/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS"> <img style="width:30px;" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/icons/aarp_event_icon.png" alt="Upcoming AARP Events" /> </a> </div> <h2 class="visible-lg">AARP Events for Barre</h2> <h2 class="hidden-lg">AARP Events for Barre</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-listing snippet"> <ul class="list"> <li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-vt-handbuilt-ceramic-mugs-workshop-session-1-white-river-jct-vt-121124-46nz86xt5cq.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-HANDBUILT-CERAMIC-MUGS-WORKSHOP-SESSION-1">Hand-Built Ceramic Mugs Workshop, Session 1</a></h2> <p class="time">Wednesday, Dec 11, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">CraftStudies</p> <p class="loc">Hartford, VT</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-vt-handbuilt-ceramic-mugs-workshop-session-2-white-river-jct-vt-121124-f5n4b45xyty.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-HANDBUILT-CERAMIC-MUGS-WORKSHOP-SESSION-2">Hand-Built Ceramic Mugs Workshop, Session 2</a></h2> <p class="time">Wednesday, Dec 11, 2024 at 2:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">CraftStudies</p> <p class="loc">Hartford, VT</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-vt-beginners-pickleball-clinic-south-burlington-vt-1825-8jnhrtcnck5.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-BEGINNERS-PICKLEBALL-CLINIC">Beginners Pickleball Clinic</a></h2> <p class="time">Wednesday, Jan 8, 2025 at 1:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Catamount Pickleball</p> <p class="loc">South Burlington, VT</p> </li> </ul> <p><a class="link-red" href="/barre-vt/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS">View All AARP Events<i class="ml-1 fas fa-chevron-right"></i></a></p> </div> </div> </div> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_53475" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_53475', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="card-tout card-dark membership-tout" style="margin:0 0 30px 0;"> <img class="img-responsive image" title="image of two AARP membership cards" alt="image of two AARP membership cards" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/tout-two-cards.png"> <div class="title">Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal</div> <ul class="list"> <li>Immediate access to your <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/">member benefits</a></li> <li>Discounts on travel and everyday savings</li> <li>Subscription to AARP The Magazine</li> <li>FREE second membership</li> </ul> <div class="action"> <a class="btn" href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/join?campaignid=UAJFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-BARRE-VT">Join AARP</a> <div class="body">Already a member? 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The" name="description"/> <meta content="Barre, Opera, House, VT" name="keywords"/> <link rel="canonical" href="https://www.americantowns.com/place/barre-opera-house-barre-vt.html" /> <meta property="og:url" content="https://vccstaging.local.aarp.org/place/barre-opera-house-barre-vt.html"/> <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image"/> <meta name="twitter:title" content="Barre Opera House"/> <meta name="twitter:description" content="History : After the original Barre City Hall/Barre Opera House building was destroyed by fire in 1898, the current building was erected on the same site. The"/> <meta name="twitter:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/> <meta property="og:type" content="place"/> <meta property="og:title" content="Barre Opera House"/> <meta property="og:description" content="History : After the original Barre City Hall/Barre Opera House building was destroyed by fire in 1898, the current building was erected on the same site. The"/> <meta property="og:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/> <meta property="place:location:latitude" content="44.1968"/> <meta property="place:location:longitude" content="-72.501701"/> ', 'title_for_layout' => 'Place Detail - AARP' ) $content_for_layout = '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">Barre Opera House</h1></header> <div class="row"> <div class="col-sm-6 left module-spacer"> <p> <div> <div>6 North Main Street</div> <div> <span>Barre</span>, <span>VT</span> <span>05641</span> </div> </div> </p> <div> <i class="fa fa-external-link-square"></i> <a href="http://www.barreoperahouse.org/" target="_blank">Barre Opera House</a> </div> <div><i class="fa fa-phone-square"></i> 802-476-0292</div> </div> <div class="col-sm-6 module-spacer"> <iframe width="100%" height="220" frameborder="0" style="border:0" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed/v1/place?key=AIzaSyCU5aZylcrTOLke9e3U0F2mXovlZ4bL8yk&q=Barre+Opera+House%2C+6+North+Main+Street%2C+Barre%2C+VT+05641" allowfullscreen> </iframe> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer clearfix"> <p>History : </p> <p>After the original Barre City Hall/Barre Opera House building was destroyed by fire in 1898, the current building was erected on the same site. The new Opera House, considered to be the finest in Vermont, seated 1,000 patrons and opened on August 23, 1899.For its first 45 years, the Opera House served as performance space and community gathering site for such important events as the appearances of Helen Keller, socialist Eugene Debs, George M. Cohan and his family, anarchist Emma Goldman, John Philip Sousa and his band, Tom Mix and his horse. In 1912, the Opera House’s outer balcony served as a political soapbox for President William Howard Taft and as a backdrop for a Barre rally featuring former President Theodore Roosevelt. Through the 1930s and 40s the Opera House functioned primarily as a movie theater with occasional breaks in the schedule for variety shows, boxing and wrestling matches. However, with the addition of more modern movie theaters in town, the Barre Opera House doors closed in January, 1944, not to open again for almost 40 years.Starting in the mid-seventies, a groundswell of community interest and support culminated in the re-opening of the Opera House in October of 1982, in spite of the dingy walls, broken windows, lack of proper seats and heating.Since then, the Barre Opera House has continued its work towards complete restoration and renovation. One year it was the installation of a heating system, the next came theater chairs on the main floor. Curtains, stage lights and other amenities were gradually added as the community contributed the time, talents and financial resources necessary. Increased usage and attendance led to our most major capital construction project completed in 1993. This community-funded, million dollar project included the installation of an elevator, making us physically accessible to the box office, lobby, stage and dressing rooms, and the re-installation of seating in the balcony, raising our seating capacity by 50% to 649.The work didn’t stop there. In the years since, we have added an infrared listening system for the hearing impaired, a full service box office, and have installed a state of the art heating, ventilating and air conditioning system, built to exceptional standards to maintain the acoustical purity of the theater. In the summer of 2005, we began a complete overhaul of our theatrical lighting system, beginning with the replacement of our electrical wiring and the project was completed in 2006. 2008 saw the installation a brass railing around the perimeter of the orchestra pit and the replacement of brass rails in the opera boxes that went missing during the theater’s period of disuse. In 2010, we sound-proofed the theater from the busy downtown streetscape by adding interior storm windows. We’re currently illuminating the beautiful balcony stained glass window to make it visible from the outside of the building. On the horizon are stage rigging improvements and reupholstering of the orchestra section seating in rich burgundy to complete the color scheme throughout the theater.The ongoing mission to restore and operate this historic facility is only possible through the continued support of our community, which views its financial contributions to the Barre Opera House as an investment in the historic and cultural quality of life in central Vermont. To date, this dedicated community of individuals, organizations and businesses has contributed close to two million dollars to the re-birth of this historic treasure.More than 20,000 people visit the Barre Opera House annually, attending performing arts rehearsals and events, public forums, corporate and private functions and community meetings. We serve a broad range of ages, both as audience members and performers, and people travel from all over the state to participate in events held at the Opera House. We host student matinees, where bus-loads of school children are brought in to experience live performing arts first-hand, and we provide space for local school children and student musicians to perform their own productions. In addition to central Vermont youth and adults, we serve a growing number of our seniors, as we present more and more afternoon matinees. And, as the Opera House is accessible to those with physical and hearing disabilities, we are serving a large community of people with special needs.In addition to this wide variety of patrons, the Opera House provides a much needed performance space for many Vermont arts groups. The Opera House is home to the Vermont Philharmonic and The Barre Players. We are the central Vermont performance venue for the Vermont Symphony and our lobby offers a rotating gallery space dedicated to featuring local artists. In addition, many non-profit organizations use the Opera House for fund-raisers, public forums and special functions, and they, along with numerous others, benefit from every improvement made to the facility.</p> </div> <div class="reportthis" style="margin-bottom: 20px;"> <form method="post" action="/barre-vt/report/place/barre-opera-house-barre-vt.html"> <button type="submit" class="btn btnregister pull-right" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">Flag This Place</button> </form> </div> <div class="report_button_message">Please use "Flag This Place" to alert us about content that is inappropriate or needs immediate attention. Nothing you submit will be shared with other site visitors. </div> <style> .report_button_message { color: #333; font-size: 12px; clear: both; } </style> </div> </div> </div><div class="module clearfix"><div class="module-spacer tout-homefit-750"> <a data-formelementid="CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024" href="/barre-vt/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024"><img class="img-responsive" alt="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" title="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/touts/HomeFit_750x150.png"></a> </div></div></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail thin-rhs"><div class="module clearfix"><!--default--> <!-- module_RHS - AARP Events --> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <div class="pull-right"> <a href="/barre-vt/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS"> <img style="width:30px;" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/icons/aarp_event_icon.png" alt="Upcoming AARP Events" /> </a> </div> <h2 class="visible-lg">AARP Events for Barre</h2> <h2 class="hidden-lg">AARP Events for Barre</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-listing snippet"> <ul class="list"> <li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-vt-handbuilt-ceramic-mugs-workshop-session-1-white-river-jct-vt-121124-46nz86xt5cq.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-HANDBUILT-CERAMIC-MUGS-WORKSHOP-SESSION-1">Hand-Built Ceramic Mugs Workshop, Session 1</a></h2> <p class="time">Wednesday, Dec 11, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">CraftStudies</p> <p class="loc">Hartford, VT</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-vt-handbuilt-ceramic-mugs-workshop-session-2-white-river-jct-vt-121124-f5n4b45xyty.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-HANDBUILT-CERAMIC-MUGS-WORKSHOP-SESSION-2">Hand-Built Ceramic Mugs Workshop, Session 2</a></h2> <p class="time">Wednesday, Dec 11, 2024 at 2:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">CraftStudies</p> <p class="loc">Hartford, VT</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-vt-beginners-pickleball-clinic-south-burlington-vt-1825-8jnhrtcnck5.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-BEGINNERS-PICKLEBALL-CLINIC">Beginners Pickleball Clinic</a></h2> <p class="time">Wednesday, Jan 8, 2025 at 1:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Catamount Pickleball</p> <p class="loc">South Burlington, VT</p> </li> </ul> <p><a class="link-red" href="/barre-vt/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS">View All AARP Events<i class="ml-1 fas fa-chevron-right"></i></a></p> </div> </div> </div> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_53475" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_53475', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="card-tout card-dark membership-tout" style="margin:0 0 30px 0;"> <img class="img-responsive image" title="image of two AARP membership cards" alt="image of two AARP membership cards" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/tout-two-cards.png"> <div class="title">Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal</div> <ul class="list"> <li>Immediate access to your <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/">member benefits</a></li> <li>Discounts on travel and everyday savings</li> <li>Subscription to AARP The Magazine</li> <li>FREE second membership</li> </ul> <div class="action"> <a class="btn" href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/join?campaignid=UAJFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-BARRE-VT">Join AARP</a> <div class="body">Already a member? 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Warning (2): include() [<a href='http://php.net/function.include'>function.include</a>]: Failed opening '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/Resource/aarp2_master.bodyTargeting.html' for inclusion (include_path='/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/lib:.:/usr/share/pear:/usr/share/php') [APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 243]Code Context<?php if (!$nowrapper): // MLW - Spanish wrappers TBDinclude (APP . "Resource/aarp2_master.footer.html");include (APP . "Resource/aarp2_master.bodyTargeting.html");$viewFile = '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp' $dataForView = array( 'content_for_layout' => '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">Barre Opera House</h1></header> <div class="row"> <div class="col-sm-6 left module-spacer"> <p> <div> <div>6 North Main Street</div> <div> <span>Barre</span>, <span>VT</span> <span>05641</span> </div> </div> </p> <div> <i class="fa fa-external-link-square"></i> <a href="http://www.barreoperahouse.org/" target="_blank">Barre Opera House</a> </div> <div><i class="fa fa-phone-square"></i> 802-476-0292</div> </div> <div class="col-sm-6 module-spacer"> <iframe width="100%" height="220" frameborder="0" style="border:0" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed/v1/place?key=AIzaSyCU5aZylcrTOLke9e3U0F2mXovlZ4bL8yk&q=Barre+Opera+House%2C+6+North+Main+Street%2C+Barre%2C+VT+05641" allowfullscreen> </iframe> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer clearfix"> <p>History : </p> <p>After the original Barre City Hall/Barre Opera House building was destroyed by fire in 1898, the current building was erected on the same site. The new Opera House, considered to be the finest in Vermont, seated 1,000 patrons and opened on August 23, 1899.For its first 45 years, the Opera House served as performance space and community gathering site for such important events as the appearances of Helen Keller, socialist Eugene Debs, George M. Cohan and his family, anarchist Emma Goldman, John Philip Sousa and his band, Tom Mix and his horse. In 1912, the Opera House’s outer balcony served as a political soapbox for President William Howard Taft and as a backdrop for a Barre rally featuring former President Theodore Roosevelt. Through the 1930s and 40s the Opera House functioned primarily as a movie theater with occasional breaks in the schedule for variety shows, boxing and wrestling matches. However, with the addition of more modern movie theaters in town, the Barre Opera House doors closed in January, 1944, not to open again for almost 40 years.Starting in the mid-seventies, a groundswell of community interest and support culminated in the re-opening of the Opera House in October of 1982, in spite of the dingy walls, broken windows, lack of proper seats and heating.Since then, the Barre Opera House has continued its work towards complete restoration and renovation. One year it was the installation of a heating system, the next came theater chairs on the main floor. Curtains, stage lights and other amenities were gradually added as the community contributed the time, talents and financial resources necessary. Increased usage and attendance led to our most major capital construction project completed in 1993. This community-funded, million dollar project included the installation of an elevator, making us physically accessible to the box office, lobby, stage and dressing rooms, and the re-installation of seating in the balcony, raising our seating capacity by 50% to 649.The work didn’t stop there. In the years since, we have added an infrared listening system for the hearing impaired, a full service box office, and have installed a state of the art heating, ventilating and air conditioning system, built to exceptional standards to maintain the acoustical purity of the theater. In the summer of 2005, we began a complete overhaul of our theatrical lighting system, beginning with the replacement of our electrical wiring and the project was completed in 2006. 2008 saw the installation a brass railing around the perimeter of the orchestra pit and the replacement of brass rails in the opera boxes that went missing during the theater’s period of disuse. In 2010, we sound-proofed the theater from the busy downtown streetscape by adding interior storm windows. We’re currently illuminating the beautiful balcony stained glass window to make it visible from the outside of the building. On the horizon are stage rigging improvements and reupholstering of the orchestra section seating in rich burgundy to complete the color scheme throughout the theater.The ongoing mission to restore and operate this historic facility is only possible through the continued support of our community, which views its financial contributions to the Barre Opera House as an investment in the historic and cultural quality of life in central Vermont. To date, this dedicated community of individuals, organizations and businesses has contributed close to two million dollars to the re-birth of this historic treasure.More than 20,000 people visit the Barre Opera House annually, attending performing arts rehearsals and events, public forums, corporate and private functions and community meetings. We serve a broad range of ages, both as audience members and performers, and people travel from all over the state to participate in events held at the Opera House. We host student matinees, where bus-loads of school children are brought in to experience live performing arts first-hand, and we provide space for local school children and student musicians to perform their own productions. In addition to central Vermont youth and adults, we serve a growing number of our seniors, as we present more and more afternoon matinees. And, as the Opera House is accessible to those with physical and hearing disabilities, we are serving a large community of people with special needs.In addition to this wide variety of patrons, the Opera House provides a much needed performance space for many Vermont arts groups. The Opera House is home to the Vermont Philharmonic and The Barre Players. We are the central Vermont performance venue for the Vermont Symphony and our lobby offers a rotating gallery space dedicated to featuring local artists. In addition, many non-profit organizations use the Opera House for fund-raisers, public forums and special functions, and they, along with numerous others, benefit from every improvement made to the facility.</p> </div> <div class="reportthis" style="margin-bottom: 20px;"> <form method="post" action="/barre-vt/report/place/barre-opera-house-barre-vt.html"> <button type="submit" class="btn btnregister pull-right" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">Flag This Place</button> </form> </div> <div class="report_button_message">Please use "Flag This Place" to alert us about content that is inappropriate or needs immediate attention. Nothing you submit will be shared with other site visitors. </div> <style> .report_button_message { color: #333; font-size: 12px; clear: both; } </style> </div> </div> </div><div class="module clearfix"><div class="module-spacer tout-homefit-750"> <a data-formelementid="CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024" href="/barre-vt/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024"><img class="img-responsive" alt="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" title="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/touts/HomeFit_750x150.png"></a> </div></div></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail thin-rhs"><div class="module clearfix"><!--default--> <!-- module_RHS - AARP Events --> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <div class="pull-right"> <a href="/barre-vt/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS"> <img style="width:30px;" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/icons/aarp_event_icon.png" alt="Upcoming AARP Events" /> </a> </div> <h2 class="visible-lg">AARP Events for Barre</h2> <h2 class="hidden-lg">AARP Events for Barre</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-listing snippet"> <ul class="list"> <li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-vt-handbuilt-ceramic-mugs-workshop-session-1-white-river-jct-vt-121124-46nz86xt5cq.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-HANDBUILT-CERAMIC-MUGS-WORKSHOP-SESSION-1">Hand-Built Ceramic Mugs Workshop, Session 1</a></h2> <p class="time">Wednesday, Dec 11, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">CraftStudies</p> <p class="loc">Hartford, VT</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-vt-handbuilt-ceramic-mugs-workshop-session-2-white-river-jct-vt-121124-f5n4b45xyty.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-HANDBUILT-CERAMIC-MUGS-WORKSHOP-SESSION-2">Hand-Built Ceramic Mugs Workshop, Session 2</a></h2> <p class="time">Wednesday, Dec 11, 2024 at 2:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">CraftStudies</p> <p class="loc">Hartford, VT</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-vt-beginners-pickleball-clinic-south-burlington-vt-1825-8jnhrtcnck5.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-BEGINNERS-PICKLEBALL-CLINIC">Beginners Pickleball Clinic</a></h2> <p class="time">Wednesday, Jan 8, 2025 at 1:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Catamount Pickleball</p> <p class="loc">South Burlington, VT</p> </li> </ul> <p><a class="link-red" href="/barre-vt/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS">View All AARP Events<i class="ml-1 fas fa-chevron-right"></i></a></p> </div> </div> </div> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_53475" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_53475', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="card-tout card-dark membership-tout" style="margin:0 0 30px 0;"> <img class="img-responsive image" title="image of two AARP membership cards" alt="image of two AARP membership cards" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/tout-two-cards.png"> <div class="title">Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal</div> <ul class="list"> <li>Immediate access to your <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/">member benefits</a></li> <li>Discounts on travel and everyday savings</li> <li>Subscription to AARP The Magazine</li> <li>FREE second membership</li> </ul> <div class="action"> <a class="btn" href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/join?campaignid=UAJFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-BARRE-VT">Join AARP</a> <div class="body">Already a member? 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The" name="description"/> <meta content="Barre, Opera, House, VT" name="keywords"/> <link rel="canonical" href="https://www.americantowns.com/place/barre-opera-house-barre-vt.html" /> <meta property="og:url" content="https://vccstaging.local.aarp.org/place/barre-opera-house-barre-vt.html"/> <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image"/> <meta name="twitter:title" content="Barre Opera House"/> <meta name="twitter:description" content="History : After the original Barre City Hall/Barre Opera House building was destroyed by fire in 1898, the current building was erected on the same site. 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The"/> <meta property="og:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/> <meta property="place:location:latitude" content="44.1968"/> <meta property="place:location:longitude" content="-72.501701"/> ', 'title_for_layout' => 'Place Detail - AARP' ) $content_for_layout = '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">Barre Opera House</h1></header> <div class="row"> <div class="col-sm-6 left module-spacer"> <p> <div> <div>6 North Main Street</div> <div> <span>Barre</span>, <span>VT</span> <span>05641</span> </div> </div> </p> <div> <i class="fa fa-external-link-square"></i> <a href="http://www.barreoperahouse.org/" target="_blank">Barre Opera House</a> </div> <div><i class="fa fa-phone-square"></i> 802-476-0292</div> </div> <div class="col-sm-6 module-spacer"> <iframe width="100%" height="220" frameborder="0" style="border:0" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed/v1/place?key=AIzaSyCU5aZylcrTOLke9e3U0F2mXovlZ4bL8yk&q=Barre+Opera+House%2C+6+North+Main+Street%2C+Barre%2C+VT+05641" allowfullscreen> </iframe> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer clearfix"> <p>History : </p> <p>After the original Barre City Hall/Barre Opera House building was destroyed by fire in 1898, the current building was erected on the same site. The new Opera House, considered to be the finest in Vermont, seated 1,000 patrons and opened on August 23, 1899.For its first 45 years, the Opera House served as performance space and community gathering site for such important events as the appearances of Helen Keller, socialist Eugene Debs, George M. Cohan and his family, anarchist Emma Goldman, John Philip Sousa and his band, Tom Mix and his horse. In 1912, the Opera House’s outer balcony served as a political soapbox for President William Howard Taft and as a backdrop for a Barre rally featuring former President Theodore Roosevelt. Through the 1930s and 40s the Opera House functioned primarily as a movie theater with occasional breaks in the schedule for variety shows, boxing and wrestling matches. However, with the addition of more modern movie theaters in town, the Barre Opera House doors closed in January, 1944, not to open again for almost 40 years.Starting in the mid-seventies, a groundswell of community interest and support culminated in the re-opening of the Opera House in October of 1982, in spite of the dingy walls, broken windows, lack of proper seats and heating.Since then, the Barre Opera House has continued its work towards complete restoration and renovation. One year it was the installation of a heating system, the next came theater chairs on the main floor. Curtains, stage lights and other amenities were gradually added as the community contributed the time, talents and financial resources necessary. Increased usage and attendance led to our most major capital construction project completed in 1993. This community-funded, million dollar project included the installation of an elevator, making us physically accessible to the box office, lobby, stage and dressing rooms, and the re-installation of seating in the balcony, raising our seating capacity by 50% to 649.The work didn’t stop there. In the years since, we have added an infrared listening system for the hearing impaired, a full service box office, and have installed a state of the art heating, ventilating and air conditioning system, built to exceptional standards to maintain the acoustical purity of the theater. In the summer of 2005, we began a complete overhaul of our theatrical lighting system, beginning with the replacement of our electrical wiring and the project was completed in 2006. 2008 saw the installation a brass railing around the perimeter of the orchestra pit and the replacement of brass rails in the opera boxes that went missing during the theater’s period of disuse. In 2010, we sound-proofed the theater from the busy downtown streetscape by adding interior storm windows. We’re currently illuminating the beautiful balcony stained glass window to make it visible from the outside of the building. On the horizon are stage rigging improvements and reupholstering of the orchestra section seating in rich burgundy to complete the color scheme throughout the theater.The ongoing mission to restore and operate this historic facility is only possible through the continued support of our community, which views its financial contributions to the Barre Opera House as an investment in the historic and cultural quality of life in central Vermont. To date, this dedicated community of individuals, organizations and businesses has contributed close to two million dollars to the re-birth of this historic treasure.More than 20,000 people visit the Barre Opera House annually, attending performing arts rehearsals and events, public forums, corporate and private functions and community meetings. We serve a broad range of ages, both as audience members and performers, and people travel from all over the state to participate in events held at the Opera House. We host student matinees, where bus-loads of school children are brought in to experience live performing arts first-hand, and we provide space for local school children and student musicians to perform their own productions. In addition to central Vermont youth and adults, we serve a growing number of our seniors, as we present more and more afternoon matinees. And, as the Opera House is accessible to those with physical and hearing disabilities, we are serving a large community of people with special needs.In addition to this wide variety of patrons, the Opera House provides a much needed performance space for many Vermont arts groups. The Opera House is home to the Vermont Philharmonic and The Barre Players. We are the central Vermont performance venue for the Vermont Symphony and our lobby offers a rotating gallery space dedicated to featuring local artists. In addition, many non-profit organizations use the Opera House for fund-raisers, public forums and special functions, and they, along with numerous others, benefit from every improvement made to the facility.</p> </div> <div class="reportthis" style="margin-bottom: 20px;"> <form method="post" action="/barre-vt/report/place/barre-opera-house-barre-vt.html"> <button type="submit" class="btn btnregister pull-right" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">Flag This Place</button> </form> </div> <div class="report_button_message">Please use "Flag This Place" to alert us about content that is inappropriate or needs immediate attention. Nothing you submit will be shared with other site visitors. </div> <style> .report_button_message { color: #333; font-size: 12px; clear: both; } </style> </div> </div> </div><div class="module clearfix"><div class="module-spacer tout-homefit-750"> <a data-formelementid="CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024" href="/barre-vt/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024"><img class="img-responsive" alt="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" title="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/touts/HomeFit_750x150.png"></a> </div></div></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail thin-rhs"><div class="module clearfix"><!--default--> <!-- module_RHS - AARP Events --> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <div class="pull-right"> <a href="/barre-vt/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS"> <img style="width:30px;" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/icons/aarp_event_icon.png" alt="Upcoming AARP Events" /> </a> </div> <h2 class="visible-lg">AARP Events for Barre</h2> <h2 class="hidden-lg">AARP Events for Barre</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-listing snippet"> <ul class="list"> <li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-vt-handbuilt-ceramic-mugs-workshop-session-1-white-river-jct-vt-121124-46nz86xt5cq.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-HANDBUILT-CERAMIC-MUGS-WORKSHOP-SESSION-1">Hand-Built Ceramic Mugs Workshop, Session 1</a></h2> <p class="time">Wednesday, Dec 11, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">CraftStudies</p> <p class="loc">Hartford, VT</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-vt-handbuilt-ceramic-mugs-workshop-session-2-white-river-jct-vt-121124-f5n4b45xyty.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-HANDBUILT-CERAMIC-MUGS-WORKSHOP-SESSION-2">Hand-Built Ceramic Mugs Workshop, Session 2</a></h2> <p class="time">Wednesday, Dec 11, 2024 at 2:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">CraftStudies</p> <p class="loc">Hartford, VT</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-vt-beginners-pickleball-clinic-south-burlington-vt-1825-8jnhrtcnck5.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-BEGINNERS-PICKLEBALL-CLINIC">Beginners Pickleball Clinic</a></h2> <p class="time">Wednesday, Jan 8, 2025 at 1:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Catamount Pickleball</p> <p class="loc">South Burlington, VT</p> </li> </ul> <p><a class="link-red" href="/barre-vt/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS">View All AARP Events<i class="ml-1 fas fa-chevron-right"></i></a></p> </div> </div> </div> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_53475" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_53475', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="card-tout card-dark membership-tout" style="margin:0 0 30px 0;"> <img class="img-responsive image" title="image of two AARP membership cards" alt="image of two AARP membership cards" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/tout-two-cards.png"> <div class="title">Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal</div> <ul class="list"> <li>Immediate access to your <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/">member benefits</a></li> <li>Discounts on travel and everyday savings</li> <li>Subscription to AARP The Magazine</li> <li>FREE second membership</li> </ul> <div class="action"> <a class="btn" href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/join?campaignid=UAJFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-BARRE-VT">Join AARP</a> <div class="body">Already a member? 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The"/> <meta property="og:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/> <meta property="place:location:latitude" content="44.1968"/> <meta property="place:location:longitude" content="-72.501701"/> ' $title_for_layout = 'Place Detail - AARP' $asset_version = '230831' $min = true $nowrapper = false $css = '' $highlighting = '' $location = '<a href="/barre-vt/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-HOME">Barre, VT</a>' $no_header = false $header_title = '<a href="/barre-vt/things-to-do/">Places</a>' $header_subtitle = '' $isPR = false $navbar = '<nav class="section" role="button" aria-expanded="false" aria-controls="collapse"> <div class="section-toggle">Sections <i class="fas fa-chevron-down"></i></div> <ul class="secondary-menu" id="secondary-menu" role="menu" aria-busy="true"> <li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/barre-vt/aarp-events/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-OLE" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-EVENTS">Online & Local Events</a> </li> <li role="presentation" class="active"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/barre-vt/things-to-do/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-TTD" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-THINGSTODO">Things to Do</a></li> <li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/barre-vt/happenings/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-NF" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-HAPPENINGS">News Feed</a> </li> <li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/barre-vt/volunteering/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-VOL" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-VOLUNTEERING">Volunteering</a> </li> <li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/barre-vt/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-HC" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-HC">Home & Community</a> </li> <li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/barre-vt/movies/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-MFG" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-MOVIESFORGROWNUPS">Movies for Grownups</a> </li> <li role="presentation" class="more nosep " id="submenu-more"> <span role="menuitem" class="menuitem" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-MORE">More<i class="fas fa-chevron-down"></i></span> <ul class="secondary-submenu animate slide-in" id="secondary-submenu"> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/barre-vt/discounts/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-LO" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-OFFERS">Local Offers</a></li> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/barre-vt/local-resources/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-LR" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-LOCALRESOURCES">Local Resources</a> </li> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/barre-vt/jobs/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-WJ" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-WORK&JOBS">Work & Jobs</a></li> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/barre-vt/events/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-CC" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-EVENTS">Community Calendar</a></li> <!-- <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/barre-vt/healthy-living/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-HEALTHY_LIVING" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-HEALTHY_LIVING">Healthy Living</a></li> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/barre-vt/arts-entertainment/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-ARTS_ENT" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-ARTS_ENT">Arts & Entertainment</a></li> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/barre-vt/museums/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-MUSEUMS" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-MUSEUMS">Museums</a></li> --> </ul> </li> </ul> </nav>' $header_custom = '' $breadcrumbs = array( (int) 0 => array( 'title' => 'Things to Do', 'slug' => 'things-to-do' ) ) $row = array( 'title' => 'Back to Things to Do', 'slug' => 'things-to-do' ) $i = (int) 0include - APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 243 include - APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 243 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::renderLayout() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 546 View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 481 Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 963 AppController::renderPage() - APP/Controller/AppController.php, line 136 PlacesController::display() - APP/Controller/PlacesController.php, line 501 ReflectionMethod::invokeArgs() - [internal], line ?? 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Warning (2): include(/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/Resource/aarp2_master.resource.footer.root.html) [<a href='http://php.net/function.include'>function.include</a>]: failed to open stream: No such file or directory [APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 244]Code Contextinclude (APP . "Resource/aarp2_master.footer.html");include (APP . "Resource/aarp2_master.bodyTargeting.html");include (APP . "Resource/aarp2_master.resource.footer.root.html");$viewFile = '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp' $dataForView = array( 'content_for_layout' => '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">Barre Opera House</h1></header> <div class="row"> <div class="col-sm-6 left module-spacer"> <p> <div> <div>6 North Main Street</div> <div> <span>Barre</span>, <span>VT</span> <span>05641</span> </div> </div> </p> <div> <i class="fa fa-external-link-square"></i> <a href="http://www.barreoperahouse.org/" target="_blank">Barre Opera House</a> </div> <div><i class="fa fa-phone-square"></i> 802-476-0292</div> </div> <div class="col-sm-6 module-spacer"> <iframe width="100%" height="220" frameborder="0" style="border:0" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed/v1/place?key=AIzaSyCU5aZylcrTOLke9e3U0F2mXovlZ4bL8yk&q=Barre+Opera+House%2C+6+North+Main+Street%2C+Barre%2C+VT+05641" allowfullscreen> </iframe> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer clearfix"> <p>History : </p> <p>After the original Barre City Hall/Barre Opera House building was destroyed by fire in 1898, the current building was erected on the same site. The new Opera House, considered to be the finest in Vermont, seated 1,000 patrons and opened on August 23, 1899.For its first 45 years, the Opera House served as performance space and community gathering site for such important events as the appearances of Helen Keller, socialist Eugene Debs, George M. Cohan and his family, anarchist Emma Goldman, John Philip Sousa and his band, Tom Mix and his horse. In 1912, the Opera House’s outer balcony served as a political soapbox for President William Howard Taft and as a backdrop for a Barre rally featuring former President Theodore Roosevelt. Through the 1930s and 40s the Opera House functioned primarily as a movie theater with occasional breaks in the schedule for variety shows, boxing and wrestling matches. However, with the addition of more modern movie theaters in town, the Barre Opera House doors closed in January, 1944, not to open again for almost 40 years.Starting in the mid-seventies, a groundswell of community interest and support culminated in the re-opening of the Opera House in October of 1982, in spite of the dingy walls, broken windows, lack of proper seats and heating.Since then, the Barre Opera House has continued its work towards complete restoration and renovation. One year it was the installation of a heating system, the next came theater chairs on the main floor. Curtains, stage lights and other amenities were gradually added as the community contributed the time, talents and financial resources necessary. Increased usage and attendance led to our most major capital construction project completed in 1993. This community-funded, million dollar project included the installation of an elevator, making us physically accessible to the box office, lobby, stage and dressing rooms, and the re-installation of seating in the balcony, raising our seating capacity by 50% to 649.The work didn’t stop there. In the years since, we have added an infrared listening system for the hearing impaired, a full service box office, and have installed a state of the art heating, ventilating and air conditioning system, built to exceptional standards to maintain the acoustical purity of the theater. In the summer of 2005, we began a complete overhaul of our theatrical lighting system, beginning with the replacement of our electrical wiring and the project was completed in 2006. 2008 saw the installation a brass railing around the perimeter of the orchestra pit and the replacement of brass rails in the opera boxes that went missing during the theater’s period of disuse. In 2010, we sound-proofed the theater from the busy downtown streetscape by adding interior storm windows. We’re currently illuminating the beautiful balcony stained glass window to make it visible from the outside of the building. On the horizon are stage rigging improvements and reupholstering of the orchestra section seating in rich burgundy to complete the color scheme throughout the theater.The ongoing mission to restore and operate this historic facility is only possible through the continued support of our community, which views its financial contributions to the Barre Opera House as an investment in the historic and cultural quality of life in central Vermont. To date, this dedicated community of individuals, organizations and businesses has contributed close to two million dollars to the re-birth of this historic treasure.More than 20,000 people visit the Barre Opera House annually, attending performing arts rehearsals and events, public forums, corporate and private functions and community meetings. We serve a broad range of ages, both as audience members and performers, and people travel from all over the state to participate in events held at the Opera House. We host student matinees, where bus-loads of school children are brought in to experience live performing arts first-hand, and we provide space for local school children and student musicians to perform their own productions. In addition to central Vermont youth and adults, we serve a growing number of our seniors, as we present more and more afternoon matinees. And, as the Opera House is accessible to those with physical and hearing disabilities, we are serving a large community of people with special needs.In addition to this wide variety of patrons, the Opera House provides a much needed performance space for many Vermont arts groups. The Opera House is home to the Vermont Philharmonic and The Barre Players. We are the central Vermont performance venue for the Vermont Symphony and our lobby offers a rotating gallery space dedicated to featuring local artists. In addition, many non-profit organizations use the Opera House for fund-raisers, public forums and special functions, and they, along with numerous others, benefit from every improvement made to the facility.</p> </div> <div class="reportthis" style="margin-bottom: 20px;"> <form method="post" action="/barre-vt/report/place/barre-opera-house-barre-vt.html"> <button type="submit" class="btn btnregister pull-right" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">Flag This Place</button> </form> </div> <div class="report_button_message">Please use "Flag This Place" to alert us about content that is inappropriate or needs immediate attention. 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The" name="description"/> <meta content="Barre, Opera, House, VT" name="keywords"/> <link rel="canonical" href="https://www.americantowns.com/place/barre-opera-house-barre-vt.html" /> <meta property="og:url" content="https://vccstaging.local.aarp.org/place/barre-opera-house-barre-vt.html"/> <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image"/> <meta name="twitter:title" content="Barre Opera House"/> <meta name="twitter:description" content="History : After the original Barre City Hall/Barre Opera House building was destroyed by fire in 1898, the current building was erected on the same site. The"/> <meta name="twitter:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/> <meta property="og:type" content="place"/> <meta property="og:title" content="Barre Opera House"/> <meta property="og:description" content="History : After the original Barre City Hall/Barre Opera House building was destroyed by fire in 1898, the current building was erected on the same site. The"/> <meta property="og:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/> <meta property="place:location:latitude" content="44.1968"/> <meta property="place:location:longitude" content="-72.501701"/> ', 'title_for_layout' => 'Place Detail - AARP' ) $content_for_layout = '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">Barre Opera House</h1></header> <div class="row"> <div class="col-sm-6 left module-spacer"> <p> <div> <div>6 North Main Street</div> <div> <span>Barre</span>, <span>VT</span> <span>05641</span> </div> </div> </p> <div> <i class="fa fa-external-link-square"></i> <a href="http://www.barreoperahouse.org/" target="_blank">Barre Opera House</a> </div> <div><i class="fa fa-phone-square"></i> 802-476-0292</div> </div> <div class="col-sm-6 module-spacer"> <iframe width="100%" height="220" frameborder="0" style="border:0" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed/v1/place?key=AIzaSyCU5aZylcrTOLke9e3U0F2mXovlZ4bL8yk&q=Barre+Opera+House%2C+6+North+Main+Street%2C+Barre%2C+VT+05641" allowfullscreen> </iframe> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer clearfix"> <p>History : </p> <p>After the original Barre City Hall/Barre Opera House building was destroyed by fire in 1898, the current building was erected on the same site. The new Opera House, considered to be the finest in Vermont, seated 1,000 patrons and opened on August 23, 1899.For its first 45 years, the Opera House served as performance space and community gathering site for such important events as the appearances of Helen Keller, socialist Eugene Debs, George M. Cohan and his family, anarchist Emma Goldman, John Philip Sousa and his band, Tom Mix and his horse. In 1912, the Opera House’s outer balcony served as a political soapbox for President William Howard Taft and as a backdrop for a Barre rally featuring former President Theodore Roosevelt. Through the 1930s and 40s the Opera House functioned primarily as a movie theater with occasional breaks in the schedule for variety shows, boxing and wrestling matches. However, with the addition of more modern movie theaters in town, the Barre Opera House doors closed in January, 1944, not to open again for almost 40 years.Starting in the mid-seventies, a groundswell of community interest and support culminated in the re-opening of the Opera House in October of 1982, in spite of the dingy walls, broken windows, lack of proper seats and heating.Since then, the Barre Opera House has continued its work towards complete restoration and renovation. One year it was the installation of a heating system, the next came theater chairs on the main floor. Curtains, stage lights and other amenities were gradually added as the community contributed the time, talents and financial resources necessary. Increased usage and attendance led to our most major capital construction project completed in 1993. This community-funded, million dollar project included the installation of an elevator, making us physically accessible to the box office, lobby, stage and dressing rooms, and the re-installation of seating in the balcony, raising our seating capacity by 50% to 649.The work didn’t stop there. In the years since, we have added an infrared listening system for the hearing impaired, a full service box office, and have installed a state of the art heating, ventilating and air conditioning system, built to exceptional standards to maintain the acoustical purity of the theater. In the summer of 2005, we began a complete overhaul of our theatrical lighting system, beginning with the replacement of our electrical wiring and the project was completed in 2006. 2008 saw the installation a brass railing around the perimeter of the orchestra pit and the replacement of brass rails in the opera boxes that went missing during the theater’s period of disuse. In 2010, we sound-proofed the theater from the busy downtown streetscape by adding interior storm windows. We’re currently illuminating the beautiful balcony stained glass window to make it visible from the outside of the building. On the horizon are stage rigging improvements and reupholstering of the orchestra section seating in rich burgundy to complete the color scheme throughout the theater.The ongoing mission to restore and operate this historic facility is only possible through the continued support of our community, which views its financial contributions to the Barre Opera House as an investment in the historic and cultural quality of life in central Vermont. To date, this dedicated community of individuals, organizations and businesses has contributed close to two million dollars to the re-birth of this historic treasure.More than 20,000 people visit the Barre Opera House annually, attending performing arts rehearsals and events, public forums, corporate and private functions and community meetings. We serve a broad range of ages, both as audience members and performers, and people travel from all over the state to participate in events held at the Opera House. We host student matinees, where bus-loads of school children are brought in to experience live performing arts first-hand, and we provide space for local school children and student musicians to perform their own productions. In addition to central Vermont youth and adults, we serve a growing number of our seniors, as we present more and more afternoon matinees. And, as the Opera House is accessible to those with physical and hearing disabilities, we are serving a large community of people with special needs.In addition to this wide variety of patrons, the Opera House provides a much needed performance space for many Vermont arts groups. The Opera House is home to the Vermont Philharmonic and The Barre Players. We are the central Vermont performance venue for the Vermont Symphony and our lobby offers a rotating gallery space dedicated to featuring local artists. In addition, many non-profit organizations use the Opera House for fund-raisers, public forums and special functions, and they, along with numerous others, benefit from every improvement made to the facility.</p> </div> <div class="reportthis" style="margin-bottom: 20px;"> <form method="post" action="/barre-vt/report/place/barre-opera-house-barre-vt.html"> <button type="submit" class="btn btnregister pull-right" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">Flag This Place</button> </form> </div> <div class="report_button_message">Please use "Flag This Place" to alert us about content that is inappropriate or needs immediate attention. 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Warning (2): include() [<a href='http://php.net/function.include'>function.include</a>]: Failed opening '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/Resource/aarp2_master.resource.footer.root.html' for inclusion (include_path='/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/lib:.:/usr/share/pear:/usr/share/php') [APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 244]Code Contextinclude (APP . "Resource/aarp2_master.footer.html");include (APP . "Resource/aarp2_master.bodyTargeting.html");include (APP . "Resource/aarp2_master.resource.footer.root.html");$viewFile = '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp' $dataForView = array( 'content_for_layout' => '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">Barre Opera House</h1></header> <div class="row"> <div class="col-sm-6 left module-spacer"> <p> <div> <div>6 North Main Street</div> <div> <span>Barre</span>, <span>VT</span> <span>05641</span> </div> </div> </p> <div> <i class="fa fa-external-link-square"></i> <a href="http://www.barreoperahouse.org/" target="_blank">Barre Opera House</a> </div> <div><i class="fa fa-phone-square"></i> 802-476-0292</div> </div> <div class="col-sm-6 module-spacer"> <iframe width="100%" height="220" frameborder="0" style="border:0" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed/v1/place?key=AIzaSyCU5aZylcrTOLke9e3U0F2mXovlZ4bL8yk&q=Barre+Opera+House%2C+6+North+Main+Street%2C+Barre%2C+VT+05641" allowfullscreen> </iframe> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer clearfix"> <p>History : </p> <p>After the original Barre City Hall/Barre Opera House building was destroyed by fire in 1898, the current building was erected on the same site. The new Opera House, considered to be the finest in Vermont, seated 1,000 patrons and opened on August 23, 1899.For its first 45 years, the Opera House served as performance space and community gathering site for such important events as the appearances of Helen Keller, socialist Eugene Debs, George M. Cohan and his family, anarchist Emma Goldman, John Philip Sousa and his band, Tom Mix and his horse. In 1912, the Opera House’s outer balcony served as a political soapbox for President William Howard Taft and as a backdrop for a Barre rally featuring former President Theodore Roosevelt. Through the 1930s and 40s the Opera House functioned primarily as a movie theater with occasional breaks in the schedule for variety shows, boxing and wrestling matches. However, with the addition of more modern movie theaters in town, the Barre Opera House doors closed in January, 1944, not to open again for almost 40 years.Starting in the mid-seventies, a groundswell of community interest and support culminated in the re-opening of the Opera House in October of 1982, in spite of the dingy walls, broken windows, lack of proper seats and heating.Since then, the Barre Opera House has continued its work towards complete restoration and renovation. One year it was the installation of a heating system, the next came theater chairs on the main floor. Curtains, stage lights and other amenities were gradually added as the community contributed the time, talents and financial resources necessary. Increased usage and attendance led to our most major capital construction project completed in 1993. This community-funded, million dollar project included the installation of an elevator, making us physically accessible to the box office, lobby, stage and dressing rooms, and the re-installation of seating in the balcony, raising our seating capacity by 50% to 649.The work didn’t stop there. In the years since, we have added an infrared listening system for the hearing impaired, a full service box office, and have installed a state of the art heating, ventilating and air conditioning system, built to exceptional standards to maintain the acoustical purity of the theater. In the summer of 2005, we began a complete overhaul of our theatrical lighting system, beginning with the replacement of our electrical wiring and the project was completed in 2006. 2008 saw the installation a brass railing around the perimeter of the orchestra pit and the replacement of brass rails in the opera boxes that went missing during the theater’s period of disuse. In 2010, we sound-proofed the theater from the busy downtown streetscape by adding interior storm windows. We’re currently illuminating the beautiful balcony stained glass window to make it visible from the outside of the building. On the horizon are stage rigging improvements and reupholstering of the orchestra section seating in rich burgundy to complete the color scheme throughout the theater.The ongoing mission to restore and operate this historic facility is only possible through the continued support of our community, which views its financial contributions to the Barre Opera House as an investment in the historic and cultural quality of life in central Vermont. To date, this dedicated community of individuals, organizations and businesses has contributed close to two million dollars to the re-birth of this historic treasure.More than 20,000 people visit the Barre Opera House annually, attending performing arts rehearsals and events, public forums, corporate and private functions and community meetings. We serve a broad range of ages, both as audience members and performers, and people travel from all over the state to participate in events held at the Opera House. We host student matinees, where bus-loads of school children are brought in to experience live performing arts first-hand, and we provide space for local school children and student musicians to perform their own productions. In addition to central Vermont youth and adults, we serve a growing number of our seniors, as we present more and more afternoon matinees. And, as the Opera House is accessible to those with physical and hearing disabilities, we are serving a large community of people with special needs.In addition to this wide variety of patrons, the Opera House provides a much needed performance space for many Vermont arts groups. The Opera House is home to the Vermont Philharmonic and The Barre Players. We are the central Vermont performance venue for the Vermont Symphony and our lobby offers a rotating gallery space dedicated to featuring local artists. In addition, many non-profit organizations use the Opera House for fund-raisers, public forums and special functions, and they, along with numerous others, benefit from every improvement made to the facility.</p> </div> <div class="reportthis" style="margin-bottom: 20px;"> <form method="post" action="/barre-vt/report/place/barre-opera-house-barre-vt.html"> <button type="submit" class="btn btnregister pull-right" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">Flag This Place</button> </form> </div> <div class="report_button_message">Please use "Flag This Place" to alert us about content that is inappropriate or needs immediate attention. Nothing you submit will be shared with other site visitors. </div> <style> .report_button_message { color: #333; font-size: 12px; clear: both; } </style> </div> </div> </div><div class="module clearfix"><div class="module-spacer tout-homefit-750"> <a data-formelementid="CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024" href="/barre-vt/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024"><img class="img-responsive" alt="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" title="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/touts/HomeFit_750x150.png"></a> </div></div></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail thin-rhs"><div class="module clearfix"><!--default--> <!-- module_RHS - AARP Events --> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <div class="pull-right"> <a href="/barre-vt/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS"> <img style="width:30px;" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/icons/aarp_event_icon.png" alt="Upcoming AARP Events" /> </a> </div> <h2 class="visible-lg">AARP Events for Barre</h2> <h2 class="hidden-lg">AARP Events for Barre</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-listing snippet"> <ul class="list"> <li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-vt-handbuilt-ceramic-mugs-workshop-session-1-white-river-jct-vt-121124-46nz86xt5cq.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-HANDBUILT-CERAMIC-MUGS-WORKSHOP-SESSION-1">Hand-Built Ceramic Mugs Workshop, Session 1</a></h2> <p class="time">Wednesday, Dec 11, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">CraftStudies</p> <p class="loc">Hartford, VT</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-vt-handbuilt-ceramic-mugs-workshop-session-2-white-river-jct-vt-121124-f5n4b45xyty.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-HANDBUILT-CERAMIC-MUGS-WORKSHOP-SESSION-2">Hand-Built Ceramic Mugs Workshop, Session 2</a></h2> <p class="time">Wednesday, Dec 11, 2024 at 2:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">CraftStudies</p> <p class="loc">Hartford, VT</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-vt-beginners-pickleball-clinic-south-burlington-vt-1825-8jnhrtcnck5.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-BEGINNERS-PICKLEBALL-CLINIC">Beginners Pickleball Clinic</a></h2> <p class="time">Wednesday, Jan 8, 2025 at 1:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Catamount Pickleball</p> <p class="loc">South Burlington, VT</p> </li> </ul> <p><a class="link-red" href="/barre-vt/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS">View All AARP Events<i class="ml-1 fas fa-chevron-right"></i></a></p> </div> </div> </div> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_53475" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_53475', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="card-tout card-dark membership-tout" style="margin:0 0 30px 0;"> <img class="img-responsive image" title="image of two AARP membership cards" alt="image of two AARP membership cards" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/tout-two-cards.png"> <div class="title">Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal</div> <ul class="list"> <li>Immediate access to your <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/">member benefits</a></li> <li>Discounts on travel and everyday savings</li> <li>Subscription to AARP The Magazine</li> <li>FREE second membership</li> </ul> <div class="action"> <a class="btn" href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/join?campaignid=UAJFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-BARRE-VT">Join AARP</a> <div class="body">Already a member? 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The" name="description"/> <meta content="Barre, Opera, House, VT" name="keywords"/> <link rel="canonical" href="https://www.americantowns.com/place/barre-opera-house-barre-vt.html" /> <meta property="og:url" content="https://vccstaging.local.aarp.org/place/barre-opera-house-barre-vt.html"/> <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image"/> <meta name="twitter:title" content="Barre Opera House"/> <meta name="twitter:description" content="History : After the original Barre City Hall/Barre Opera House building was destroyed by fire in 1898, the current building was erected on the same site. 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The"/> <meta property="og:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/> <meta property="place:location:latitude" content="44.1968"/> <meta property="place:location:longitude" content="-72.501701"/> ', 'title_for_layout' => 'Place Detail - AARP' ) $content_for_layout = '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">Barre Opera House</h1></header> <div class="row"> <div class="col-sm-6 left module-spacer"> <p> <div> <div>6 North Main Street</div> <div> <span>Barre</span>, <span>VT</span> <span>05641</span> </div> </div> </p> <div> <i class="fa fa-external-link-square"></i> <a href="http://www.barreoperahouse.org/" target="_blank">Barre Opera House</a> </div> <div><i class="fa fa-phone-square"></i> 802-476-0292</div> </div> <div class="col-sm-6 module-spacer"> <iframe width="100%" height="220" frameborder="0" style="border:0" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed/v1/place?key=AIzaSyCU5aZylcrTOLke9e3U0F2mXovlZ4bL8yk&q=Barre+Opera+House%2C+6+North+Main+Street%2C+Barre%2C+VT+05641" allowfullscreen> </iframe> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer clearfix"> <p>History : </p> <p>After the original Barre City Hall/Barre Opera House building was destroyed by fire in 1898, the current building was erected on the same site. The new Opera House, considered to be the finest in Vermont, seated 1,000 patrons and opened on August 23, 1899.For its first 45 years, the Opera House served as performance space and community gathering site for such important events as the appearances of Helen Keller, socialist Eugene Debs, George M. Cohan and his family, anarchist Emma Goldman, John Philip Sousa and his band, Tom Mix and his horse. In 1912, the Opera House’s outer balcony served as a political soapbox for President William Howard Taft and as a backdrop for a Barre rally featuring former President Theodore Roosevelt. Through the 1930s and 40s the Opera House functioned primarily as a movie theater with occasional breaks in the schedule for variety shows, boxing and wrestling matches. However, with the addition of more modern movie theaters in town, the Barre Opera House doors closed in January, 1944, not to open again for almost 40 years.Starting in the mid-seventies, a groundswell of community interest and support culminated in the re-opening of the Opera House in October of 1982, in spite of the dingy walls, broken windows, lack of proper seats and heating.Since then, the Barre Opera House has continued its work towards complete restoration and renovation. One year it was the installation of a heating system, the next came theater chairs on the main floor. Curtains, stage lights and other amenities were gradually added as the community contributed the time, talents and financial resources necessary. Increased usage and attendance led to our most major capital construction project completed in 1993. This community-funded, million dollar project included the installation of an elevator, making us physically accessible to the box office, lobby, stage and dressing rooms, and the re-installation of seating in the balcony, raising our seating capacity by 50% to 649.The work didn’t stop there. In the years since, we have added an infrared listening system for the hearing impaired, a full service box office, and have installed a state of the art heating, ventilating and air conditioning system, built to exceptional standards to maintain the acoustical purity of the theater. In the summer of 2005, we began a complete overhaul of our theatrical lighting system, beginning with the replacement of our electrical wiring and the project was completed in 2006. 2008 saw the installation a brass railing around the perimeter of the orchestra pit and the replacement of brass rails in the opera boxes that went missing during the theater’s period of disuse. In 2010, we sound-proofed the theater from the busy downtown streetscape by adding interior storm windows. We’re currently illuminating the beautiful balcony stained glass window to make it visible from the outside of the building. On the horizon are stage rigging improvements and reupholstering of the orchestra section seating in rich burgundy to complete the color scheme throughout the theater.The ongoing mission to restore and operate this historic facility is only possible through the continued support of our community, which views its financial contributions to the Barre Opera House as an investment in the historic and cultural quality of life in central Vermont. To date, this dedicated community of individuals, organizations and businesses has contributed close to two million dollars to the re-birth of this historic treasure.More than 20,000 people visit the Barre Opera House annually, attending performing arts rehearsals and events, public forums, corporate and private functions and community meetings. We serve a broad range of ages, both as audience members and performers, and people travel from all over the state to participate in events held at the Opera House. We host student matinees, where bus-loads of school children are brought in to experience live performing arts first-hand, and we provide space for local school children and student musicians to perform their own productions. In addition to central Vermont youth and adults, we serve a growing number of our seniors, as we present more and more afternoon matinees. And, as the Opera House is accessible to those with physical and hearing disabilities, we are serving a large community of people with special needs.In addition to this wide variety of patrons, the Opera House provides a much needed performance space for many Vermont arts groups. The Opera House is home to the Vermont Philharmonic and The Barre Players. We are the central Vermont performance venue for the Vermont Symphony and our lobby offers a rotating gallery space dedicated to featuring local artists. In addition, many non-profit organizations use the Opera House for fund-raisers, public forums and special functions, and they, along with numerous others, benefit from every improvement made to the facility.</p> </div> <div class="reportthis" style="margin-bottom: 20px;"> <form method="post" action="/barre-vt/report/place/barre-opera-house-barre-vt.html"> <button type="submit" class="btn btnregister pull-right" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">Flag This Place</button> </form> </div> <div class="report_button_message">Please use "Flag This Place" to alert us about content that is inappropriate or needs immediate attention. Nothing you submit will be shared with other site visitors. </div> <style> .report_button_message { color: #333; font-size: 12px; clear: both; } </style> </div> </div> </div><div class="module clearfix"><div class="module-spacer tout-homefit-750"> <a data-formelementid="CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024" href="/barre-vt/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024"><img class="img-responsive" alt="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" title="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/touts/HomeFit_750x150.png"></a> </div></div></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail thin-rhs"><div class="module clearfix"><!--default--> <!-- module_RHS - AARP Events --> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <div class="pull-right"> <a href="/barre-vt/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS"> <img style="width:30px;" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/icons/aarp_event_icon.png" alt="Upcoming AARP Events" /> </a> </div> <h2 class="visible-lg">AARP Events for Barre</h2> <h2 class="hidden-lg">AARP Events for Barre</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-listing snippet"> <ul class="list"> <li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-vt-handbuilt-ceramic-mugs-workshop-session-1-white-river-jct-vt-121124-46nz86xt5cq.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-HANDBUILT-CERAMIC-MUGS-WORKSHOP-SESSION-1">Hand-Built Ceramic Mugs Workshop, Session 1</a></h2> <p class="time">Wednesday, Dec 11, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">CraftStudies</p> <p class="loc">Hartford, VT</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-vt-handbuilt-ceramic-mugs-workshop-session-2-white-river-jct-vt-121124-f5n4b45xyty.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-HANDBUILT-CERAMIC-MUGS-WORKSHOP-SESSION-2">Hand-Built Ceramic Mugs Workshop, Session 2</a></h2> <p class="time">Wednesday, Dec 11, 2024 at 2:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">CraftStudies</p> <p class="loc">Hartford, VT</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-vt-beginners-pickleball-clinic-south-burlington-vt-1825-8jnhrtcnck5.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-BEGINNERS-PICKLEBALL-CLINIC">Beginners Pickleball Clinic</a></h2> <p class="time">Wednesday, Jan 8, 2025 at 1:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Catamount Pickleball</p> <p class="loc">South Burlington, VT</p> </li> </ul> <p><a class="link-red" href="/barre-vt/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS">View All AARP Events<i class="ml-1 fas fa-chevron-right"></i></a></p> </div> </div> </div> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_53475" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_53475', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="card-tout card-dark membership-tout" style="margin:0 0 30px 0;"> <img class="img-responsive image" title="image of two AARP membership cards" alt="image of two AARP membership cards" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/tout-two-cards.png"> <div class="title">Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal</div> <ul class="list"> <li>Immediate access to your <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/">member benefits</a></li> <li>Discounts on travel and everyday savings</li> <li>Subscription to AARP The Magazine</li> <li>FREE second membership</li> </ul> <div class="action"> <a class="btn" href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/join?campaignid=UAJFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-BARRE-VT">Join AARP</a> <div class="body">Already a member? 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The" name="description"/> <meta content="Barre, Opera, House, VT" name="keywords"/> <link rel="canonical" href="https://www.americantowns.com/place/barre-opera-house-barre-vt.html" /> <meta property="og:url" content="https://vccstaging.local.aarp.org/place/barre-opera-house-barre-vt.html"/> <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image"/> <meta name="twitter:title" content="Barre Opera House"/> <meta name="twitter:description" content="History : After the original Barre City Hall/Barre Opera House building was destroyed by fire in 1898, the current building was erected on the same site. The"/> <meta name="twitter:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/> <meta property="og:type" content="place"/> <meta property="og:title" content="Barre Opera House"/> <meta property="og:description" content="History : After the original Barre City Hall/Barre Opera House building was destroyed by fire in 1898, the current building was erected on the same site. The"/> <meta property="og:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/> <meta property="place:location:latitude" content="44.1968"/> <meta property="place:location:longitude" content="-72.501701"/> ' $title_for_layout = 'Place Detail - AARP' $asset_version = '230831' $min = true $nowrapper = false $css = '' $highlighting = '' $location = '<a href="/barre-vt/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-HOME">Barre, VT</a>' $no_header = false $header_title = '<a href="/barre-vt/things-to-do/">Places</a>' $header_subtitle = '' $isPR = false $navbar = '<nav class="section" role="button" aria-expanded="false" aria-controls="collapse"> <div class="section-toggle">Sections <i class="fas fa-chevron-down"></i></div> <ul class="secondary-menu" id="secondary-menu" role="menu" aria-busy="true"> <li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/barre-vt/aarp-events/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-OLE" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-EVENTS">Online & Local Events</a> </li> <li role="presentation" class="active"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/barre-vt/things-to-do/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-TTD" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-THINGSTODO">Things to Do</a></li> <li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/barre-vt/happenings/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-NF" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-HAPPENINGS">News Feed</a> </li> <li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/barre-vt/volunteering/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-VOL" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-VOLUNTEERING">Volunteering</a> </li> <li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/barre-vt/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-HC" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-HC">Home & Community</a> </li> <li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/barre-vt/movies/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-MFG" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-MOVIESFORGROWNUPS">Movies for Grownups</a> </li> <li role="presentation" class="more nosep " id="submenu-more"> <span role="menuitem" class="menuitem" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-MORE">More<i class="fas fa-chevron-down"></i></span> <ul class="secondary-submenu animate slide-in" id="secondary-submenu"> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/barre-vt/discounts/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-LO" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-OFFERS">Local Offers</a></li> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/barre-vt/local-resources/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-LR" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-LOCALRESOURCES">Local Resources</a> </li> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/barre-vt/jobs/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-WJ" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-WORK&JOBS">Work & Jobs</a></li> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/barre-vt/events/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-CC" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-EVENTS">Community Calendar</a></li> <!-- <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/barre-vt/healthy-living/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-HEALTHY_LIVING" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-HEALTHY_LIVING">Healthy Living</a></li> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/barre-vt/arts-entertainment/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-ARTS_ENT" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-ARTS_ENT">Arts & Entertainment</a></li> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/barre-vt/museums/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-MUSEUMS" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-MUSEUMS">Museums</a></li> --> </ul> </li> </ul> </nav>' $header_custom = '' $breadcrumbs = array( (int) 0 => array( 'title' => 'Things to Do', 'slug' => 'things-to-do' ) ) $row = array( 'title' => 'Back to Things to Do', 'slug' => 'things-to-do' ) $i = (int) 0include - APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 244 include - APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 244 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::renderLayout() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 546 View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 481 Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 963 AppController::renderPage() - APP/Controller/AppController.php, line 136 PlacesController::display() - APP/Controller/PlacesController.php, line 501 ReflectionMethod::invokeArgs() - [internal], line ?? Controller::invokeAction() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 491 Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 193 Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167 [main] - APP/webroot/index.php, line 118