The Grand Opera House

10 Interesting Facts about the Grand 1894 Opera House

Galveston History, Sight Seeing / By

Looking for something fun and exciting that your whole family will enjoy on the Island? Well why not check out the Grand 1894 Opera House?

Why would I want to see an Opera during my beach vacation?

You may be thinking “Who wants to watch an opera play?” Well despite the name the Opera House is more versatile than you think. With comic legends like Jeanne Robertson, billboard winning popstars such as Johnny Mathis, and award-winning musicals like Spamalot; there is something for everyone to enjoy.

There is also rich history to this building that some may not know of so today we will discuss 10 interesting facts you probably didn’t know about the Grand 1894 Opera House.

  1. The opera house was constructed in 1894 for a sum of $100,000. In today’s money, that would equivalent to about 3 million dollars!
  2. The Opera House was deemed the Official Opera House of Texas by the 73rd legislature in 1993.
  3. The Opera House’s opening night was on January 3rd, 1895. The audience was given a special treat with a play known as “Daughters of Eve” starring Marie Wainwright.
  4. A man by the name of Atillio Martini bought the Grand Opera in 1924 and renamed it the Martini Theatre. He later changed the name again to the State Theater.
  5. To this day the Grand Opera can hold over a thousand guests.
  6. The Grand builders had to provide specific ramifications to the opera in order for it to be considered “Grand.” This included:
    • A fly space above stage
    • Wings on both sides of the stage
    • Exclusive orchestra space
    • Stage lighting
    • Separate dressing rooms for both genders
    • Box office
  1. The most notable performers include:
    • The Beach Boys
    • Willie Nelson
    • Liza Minnelli
    • Tommy Tune
    • Chubby Checker
    • Jeanne Robertson
    • Johnny Mathis
  1. The Opera House was one of the few infrastructures to actually survive the Great Storm of 1900 with minimal damage.
  2. Upon its opening date, the Opera House had the largest state in Texas with measurements of 70’ x 37’ x 69’.
  3. A remarkable $8 million was raised for restoration between the times of 1974 and 1990.

Check out the Grand Opera House calendar and see what’s showing or who’s playing here!