Opera House

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The Grand 1894 Opera House, located at 2020 Postoffice Street in Galveston’s Historic Downtown Cultural Arts District, has a very special place in the history of the island and in the hearts of its citizens.

The Grand was built in the Romanesque Revival style, with a seating capacity of 1,040. When it opened, it had the largest stage in the state of Texas (70’ x 37’ x 69’). Even today, a whisper on stage can be heard without a microphone. No seat in the audience is further than 70 feet from the stage.

The opera house survived the Great Storm of 1900 and another major storm in 1915, as well as Hurricanes Carla and Alicia and Ike. It has also survived years of neglect at various times in this illustrious history.

This year, in the middle of its 125th anniversary season, The Grand was forced to close because of the Covid-19 pandemic. But, knowing the determination of the people of Galveston, the closure is only temporary. When the time is right, the Grand 1894 Opera House will be filled to capacity once again, and all will be enjoying another great season of live performances on its stage.

In the meantime, we will remain patient and look forward to the upcoming season and another terrific lineup of shows and great experiences.

Community Commitment
In 1894, Henry Greenwall, a theater manager, raised 100,000 for the construction of the opera house, with substantial commitments made by a handful of prominent businessmen and civic-minded residents. And, when more than $8 million was raised between 1974-1990 for the Grand’s restoration, it was another remarkable community effort.

Support came from individuals, the business and corporate community, local government and, of course, included generous foundation support from around the state and nation. Chief among these were the generous leadership gifts of the Harris and Eliza Kempner Fund, The Moody Foundation, Houston Endowment and the subsequent gifts of George and Cynthia Mitchell to help complete the restoration.

  • The 1894 Grand Opera House is listed on the National Register of Historic Landmarks and is a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark.