Curtains Up on the Prairie: Nebraska’s Opera Houses, 1870-1920

In this episode of Rooted in the Plains, we open the doors to Nebraska’s opera houses, cultural centers that stood at the heart of prairie towns between 1870 and 1920. Though few ever hosted full operas, these spaces bustled with activity: traveling shows, lectures, community meetings and much more. Built to attract and retain residents, they were often nestled along main streets, reflecting the ambition and spirit of growing towns.  

We stop in Friend, Plattsmouth, and Red Cloud, to explore their heyday, their decline and what remains today. 

**Update: The Groundbreaking Ceremony for Friend Historical Society’s Warren Opera House - Building Addition Project will take place on September 8, 2025 at 10:00 a.m. in the rear of the building at 511 2nd Street. The public is invited and welcomed to attend.

Want to see more? See photos, maps and more glimpses of prairie life on Instagram: @rootedintheplains 

Want to learn more? 

• Davis, Ronald L. “Opera Houses in Kansas, Nebraska, and the Dakotas: 1870-1920.” Great Plains Quarterly 9, no. 1 (1989)
• Ehlers, D. Layne. “This Week at the Opera House: Popular Musical Entertainment at Great Plains Opera Houses, 1887-1917.” Great Plains Quarterly 20, no. 3 (2000)
• Grossman, Samantha. “Blaze Turns Historic Nebraska Opera House Into Icy Winter Wonder.” Time, January 5, 2014
•  https://www.friendnehistoricalsociety.org
• Stellmon, Andrew. “The Opera House, Red Cloud’s ‘Window To The World.’” Hear Nebraska, July 26, 2016