Central City Opera (CCO) has announced the launch of a multi-phase renovation of the Williams’ Stables, a historic landmark adjacent to the Central City Opera House.

Structural repairs and stabilization will begin this summer, the first step toward transforming the building into a 100-seat black box theater and year-round cultural venue.

This summer marks the project’s first phase, addressing structural deterioration before interior renovations can proceed. The building’s north wall has been compromised by water intrusion, threatening its long-term viability. Construction drawings are complete, and seed funding has been secured through grants from the History Colorado State Historical Fund, the Gates Family Foundation, and the National Park Service Historic Preservation Fund, along with a gift from the Honnen Family.

The Stables were built in 1876 to house horses and carriages for guests of the Teller House Hotel and the Opera House. Under the ownership of Sheriff Dick Williams, the building became a local institution, with the Stables cleared on performance nights in later decades to host square dances. CCO acquired the building in 1953, and it has since functioned as rehearsal space, a performance venue, and a home base for the Bonfils-Stanton Foundation Training Artists program.

“The Williams’ Stables has been at the heart of this community since 1876,” said Scott Finlay, President & CEO of Central City Opera, per the company. “With this project, we’re not only restoring the past, we’re activating the future.”

Once renovated, the Stables will feature re-arrangeable seating, a bar, a lighting booth, and dressing rooms, with the design preserving the building’s historic character while ensuring full accessibility.

During construction, programs typically held at the Stables will move to nearby locations for the 2026 festival season. “Opera Notes,” the company’s pre-show conversations with each production’s creative team, will take place inside the Opera House, while “Short Works” performances will relocate to St. James Church, near the Stables and across the street from the Opera House.

Read Related Stories

• Opera Steamboat & Opera Colorado Partner for ‘Pirates of Penzance’ & Arias Concert

• Opera Colorado to present ‘Beyond the Blossom: Rethinking Madama Butterfly’