Central City Opera House
Central City Opera House
4.5
Monday
8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
About
Founded in 1932, Central City Opera (CCO) is the fifth oldest professional opera company in the country and is renowned for its exquisite world-class productions, competitive and robust young artist training program, and creative education and community engagement activities. The summer festival takes place at 8,500 feet above sea level in the Colorado mountain town of Central City, only 35 miles west of Denver, where the company owns and maintains 27 Victorian-era properties, including the intimate 550-seat jewel box opera house built in 1878.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
4.5
83 reviews
Excellent
61
Very good
19
Average
1
Poor
1
Terrible
1
Barbara M
Springfield, MO3,236 contributions
Jul 2021
Unfortunately, this was closed, so we couldn't see the interior. However, between the opera house and the Teller House is a lovely garden we enjoyed. More than just plants, there are a number of interesting markers, as well. A lovely spot to rest for a bit.
Written 16 July 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
merlinslap
Amherst, MA221 contributions
Jul 2012 • Couples
This was our second year visiting the Central City Opera House and we attended all three operas. Central City presents a stark contrast in cultural values. On one side are the historic buildings from bygone gold rush days now either empty or occupied by gambling casinos and the sad desperation they attract. On the other side is a lively Opera House and a block of historic buildings used to support it, including The Teller House, a once magnificent hotel with two adequate, but overrated, restaurants which only operate on performance days. Though once the town thrived with historic buildings, tourist shops, and the opera, times changed and it seems that the gambling establishments have not only saved the town from irrelevance, but saved the opera company as well, with the help of many generous benefactors and continued public support.
I have been to the Santa Fe Opera, Palais Garnier in Paris, and The Metropolitan Opera in NYC, and the Central City Opera holds its own in comparison. The opera house is a classic architectural gem as a performance hall and every bit of backstage space is utilized in the productions. There are no bad seats and the connection between performers and the audience is palpable. Each year the company produces one opera favorite, one lesser-known piece, and one American work. and this summer's varied offerings are Puccini's La Bohème, Benjamin Britton's The Turn of the Screw, and Rodgers and Hammerstein's Oklahoma! They were all excellent productions, including the singers, dancers, orchestra, and sets. During the intermission you can step outside directly into a beautiful and refreshing garden setting.
The Central City Opera also has the country's finest training program for young singers. We should all support excellence in the performing arts wherever we find it. The gold may be almost gone from the hills, but Central City Opera is an American treasure that is alive and thriving!
I have been to the Santa Fe Opera, Palais Garnier in Paris, and The Metropolitan Opera in NYC, and the Central City Opera holds its own in comparison. The opera house is a classic architectural gem as a performance hall and every bit of backstage space is utilized in the productions. There are no bad seats and the connection between performers and the audience is palpable. Each year the company produces one opera favorite, one lesser-known piece, and one American work. and this summer's varied offerings are Puccini's La Bohème, Benjamin Britton's The Turn of the Screw, and Rodgers and Hammerstein's Oklahoma! They were all excellent productions, including the singers, dancers, orchestra, and sets. During the intermission you can step outside directly into a beautiful and refreshing garden setting.
The Central City Opera also has the country's finest training program for young singers. We should all support excellence in the performing arts wherever we find it. The gold may be almost gone from the hills, but Central City Opera is an American treasure that is alive and thriving!
Written 25 July 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ET-retired
Omaha, NE1,723 contributions
Aug 2014 • Couples
This is the only part of Central City that is even recognizable from twenty years ago. In the name of gambling every shop and restaurant have disappeared both here and in Black Hawk. It is a real shame but if you want to gamble it's closer than Vegas.
Written 26 August 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
85markc
Albuquerque, NM5 contributions
Jul 2012 • Couples
The Central City Opera may be a jewel of an architectural treasure, but it would be irrelevant and not particularly worth stepping off the beaten track if it weren't also one of the most important performance venues in the US. Although it has gained its greatest acclaim as a setting for training some of America's best and brightest young talent, this is a renowned company that has the highest standards. My trip this weekend confirmed that, with a stunning performance of Britten's very challenging "Turn of the Screw" followed that evening by a rousing rendition of "Oklahoma!" First rate singing, acting and playing made all the more glorious by the Opera House's small (550) size, great acoustics and beautiful auditorium. The company is highly polished, from the military precision of the ushers, who announce every performance with their whimsical chorus sung as they march in ranks across Eureka St to open the house, to the designers, conductors, instrumentalists and terrific singers. The house is perfect for ensemble operas like the Britten: there's no other house in America where one can be thrilled by stunning sounds while seeing every subtle nuance of the acting. Ticket prices are reasonable for a thoroughly professional company. There's incredible history in the town, the house (built in the mid-1880s) and the company, which has welcomed many of our greatest singers and actors for over 80 years. If you're in the Denver area and you love great opera (and sometimes musicals), this is a must during their summer festival season. Only about 20-30 minutes out of Denver west on I-70, then up the Central City expressway for another 15 minutes. Book lodging in advance: good lodging is limited and this historic mining village is a casino town, so weekends in particular can be tough. I stayed at the very satisfactory Century Casino and Hotel. I'll be back again!
Written 22 July 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ann K
TX27 contributions
Jul 2011
Three operas in 2 days at the Central City Opera, Central City, CO and all first class productions. These productions were all the more interesting and surprising in that the opera is nestled among a myriad of gambling casinos and dusty bric-a-brac shops.
Central City is a delightful walking town if the traveler is strong of lung and legs. Be warned! Sidewalk grades are very steep.
Central City is a delightful walking town if the traveler is strong of lung and legs. Be warned! Sidewalk grades are very steep.
Written 20 July 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ted C
Boise, ID16 contributions
Nov 2018 • Couples
Was here in the winter, great town to explore. Coming back in the summer, great local people. Going to visit when they are doing some of there festas.
Written 23 November 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
AnnArborMiBob
Ann Arbor, MI1,619 contributions
Jul 2017 • Friends
This opera house has a lot of history attached to it, as does the town in which it is located. We attended a production of Cosi fan tutte here with friends, and enjoyed the performance, the venue, the town, the atmosphere, the history.... Wonderful!
A few points if you go:
(1) We recommend that you purchase a parking pass for the nearby parking lot when you get your tickets. Don't count on just finding a place to park when you get there.
(2) Try to arrive early enough that you will be on the street outside the opera house when the ushers march across the street to their duties singing.
(3) If you are not familiar with Central City, we highly recommend getting very specific directions on how to get to the parking lot. One way streets can make it difficult to figure out, and you might make several passes through Central City's twin city of Black Hawk before you figure it all out.
A few points if you go:
(1) We recommend that you purchase a parking pass for the nearby parking lot when you get your tickets. Don't count on just finding a place to park when you get there.
(2) Try to arrive early enough that you will be on the street outside the opera house when the ushers march across the street to their duties singing.
(3) If you are not familiar with Central City, we highly recommend getting very specific directions on how to get to the parking lot. One way streets can make it difficult to figure out, and you might make several passes through Central City's twin city of Black Hawk before you figure it all out.
Written 26 June 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helmut P
10 contributions
Jul 2017 • Couples
and it is still there, in use for operatic performances and well preserved. In a town like Central City (or City of Central actually) making its money mostly from casinos it came to us as a surprise. It is a lovely opera house, a very intimate one, one you fall in love with.
We have not decided yet but we think about coming back for another opera season. It also came as a surprise to us how many persons dressed up for the opera performance, not just women (which is rather normal) but also men.
We have not decided yet but we think about coming back for another opera season. It also came as a surprise to us how many persons dressed up for the opera performance, not just women (which is rather normal) but also men.
Written 16 August 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Roger H
Breckenridge, CO21 contributions
Jul 2017 • Couples
We attended the opera on July 15 and what a fabulous performance by both the actors and the orchestra. We sat in row b seats 23 and 22 up close and it was awesome. Go early for dinner next door and perhaps a brief flutter at the casinos nearby. Great afternoon and evening out!!
Written 19 July 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
JA M
Suwanee, GA319 contributions
Jul 2017 • Solo
This is a superb opera venue and a well-managed arts company. Each summer they stage major opera productions with first rate talent, including conductors, stage directors and vocalists. Many of the singers are from their Young Artist Program and are rising stars in their own right---equal to, if not better than, the mainliners, just younger. If you are in Denver during the summer months check them out. The only disconnect is that they are located in Central City, a rather uninspiring place with few decent restaurants and casinos overrun with gambling drones.
Written 12 July 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Will dress slacks and a long-sleeved Oxford shirt (no tie or jacket) be acceptable attire for my husband for tonight's performance? I read that there is no dress code, but I don't want him to feel poorly dressed.
Thanks!
Written 24 July 2015
We did a matinee performance, and there was the complete range of attire. So, I believe that he will be well dressed without be over dressed.
Written 25 July 2015
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