Opera House (Cheboygan)
The Cheboygan Opera House is a historic municipal performing arts venue in downtown Cheboygan, Michigan. It is part of a multi-use civic complex that houses Cheboygan City Hall, the city's police department, and fire station, with the theater located on the upper level of the building at 403 N. Huron Street. The venue is owned by the City of Cheboygan and operated by the non-profit Cheboygan Area Arts Council. The auditorium seats 582 and is noted for its Victorian-era design and acoustics.
The building is recognized locally as a historic resource and is listed as a Michigan State Historic Site.
History
Cheboygan's first city hall and opera house was erected in 1877 as a wood-frame, two-story building that combined municipal functions with a public performance hall. The original structure burned in December 1886 and was replaced by a three-story brick and sandstone building that opened on July 30, 1888. A second major fire in October 1903 destroyed the roof and upper story; the opera house was extensively rebuilt and the upper level reconstructed in 1904, retaining the acoustical qualities of the 1888 theater.The venue hosted national touring acts through the early and mid-20th century, and like many opera houses, saw usage decline with the rise of cinema. By the mid-1960s the theater portion was condemned and the building sat largely vacant while funding for restoration was pursued. In 1974, voters approved a 15-year millage toward restoration; additional state and federal support, along with private donations, funded the project. The restored opera house reopened to the public on April 4, 1984.