$21,671 raised by 87 donors
62% complete
$35,000 Goal
Save the Tabor! The Tabor Opera House Preservation Foundation is dedicated to revitalizing the iconic Tabor Opera House in Leadville, Colorado. With a $15 million building rehabilitation underway, the opera house is being reshaped as the heartbeat of the local community in arts, culture and history. This year we need to raise $45,000 by year-end. Fortunately, we have received a generous $10,000 donation to kick-start the giving season! To meet our goal, we plan to utilize the charitable donations from Colorado Gives Day in conjunction with the gifts we receive directly by the end of the year. Please help us continue these efforts to SAVE THE TABOR!
Testimonials:
"We toured a couple weeks ago…it was a phenomenal tour! So lovely to see the backdrops which are making International news! ♥️ What a legacy." Tour Guest, Jane Cosgrove Gillett
"Thank you so much!! Victor and I had so much fun, and this season has been the absolute best time. I cannot be grateful enough for the chance to experience all the wonder the Opera House has to offer, and I can't wait til next spring! The Open House was a huge success-- let's keep the momentum going all the way till May." Tabor Docent, Helen Adami
Loved the Private Tour: "While planning the trip, we were disappointed to learn that the Tabor Opera House tours would be over for the 2022 season before we would be there. (October 4th through the 11th) Susi emailed the Opera House web site and explained the situation. A few days later, Tammy Taber emailed back and agreed to give us a private tour. On October 6th, Tammy gave us an impressive three hour tour of the Tabor Opera House. We will be forever grateful to Tammy. Susi and I are planning a return trip next year to the Tabor Opera House to see the progress that has been made on the “rehabilitation to bring The Ole’ Gal back to her former glory and then some!!"- Phil Kelly
"To me, the Tabor Opera House is just a building until we fill it with people and music and fun. Then it's full of meaning. It means the ability to educate our next generations on the history of Colorado and Leadville. It means giving people of all backgrounds and ages a place to enrich their lives with art and music and theater. It means people like you being inspired by the shows, feeling awed by the history of this special place, and seeing the possibilities of the water-stained yet still elegant ballroom." Mary Ann Graham-Best, Former President, Board of Directors, Tabor Opera House Preservation Foundation
"Our goal for the Tabor Opera House is to find a sustainable future that honors its history and character, and contributes to the economic vitality of Leadville's landmarked main street. The National Trust is leveraging the city of Leadville's resources by helping secure funds for their purchase of the property, undertaking project planning studies to determine the most viable uses for the entertainment venue, and identifying financing opportunities to take on the significant rehabilitation of the building." --The National Trust for Historic Preservation, which designated the Tabor Opera House as a National Treasure.
"In 2017, a Tabor Opera House feasibility study was completed to analyze the feasibility and funding sources required for various re-use scenarios for the building. Ultimately the Tabor Opera House will serve as an economic catalyst for further investment in downtown Leadville, a National Historic Landmark District and a newly selected Main Street Community." --Colorado Preservation Inc, which designated the Tabor Opera House as and Endangered Place in 2016 under threat of "Demolition from Neglect."
2022 Accomplishments:
--Completed year three of a major exterior building rehabilitation, strengthening the east facade.
--Restored the ghost signs, the original ads painted on the outside the south side, finishing touches to the brick rehabilitation completed in the summers of 2020-2021.
--Welcomed 1,800 guests that toured and experienced the magic of the Tabor.
--Brought back a comeback programming season after a 2-year COVID hiatus, with live performances on the historic stage!
--Hired the first executive director to the team to help grow and strengthen the Foundation’s capacity.
2023 Goals:
In 2023, the Tabor Opera House Preservation Foundation aspires to keep meeting important priorities:
--Rehabilitating this majestic building.
--Caring for and sharing the one-of-a-kind historic stage scenery collection[DC3] .
--Providing diverse live entertainment and engaging historic tours in a COVID-safe environment.
--Offering arts and local jobs to community members.
How Your Donation Can Help:
--Save this national treasure.
--Preserve our historic stage scenery.
--Offer COVID-safe and diverse programming.
--Support Leadville's economy.
--Build upon momentum to become a live arts and culture hub in Leadville, it truly is a "Tabor of Love"!
Revitalize Leadville's Historic Tabor Opera House
The Tabor Opera House was built in Leadville in 1879 by famous silver mining tycoon Horace Tabor and was considered one of the finest opera houses in the West. Over a century later, it gained different notoriety. After years of deferred maintenance as it transitioned among private owners, it was named an Endangered Place by Colorado Preservation Inc.
To save the Tabor and enable a vision of turning it into a hub for arts and culture, the City of Leadville purchased it in late 2016 with the aid of the Tabor Opera House Preservation Foundation and other partners. It remains in urgent need of significant rehabilitation. There is good news, and you can help bring about more!
The Foundation and City have launched the first major building rehabilitation in the Tabor's 140+ years. The two most badly damaged exterior walls were stabilized under Phase 1, which finished in the fall of 2021. In 2022, repairs began on the masonry and windows on the north and east elevations. We leveraged tax credits along with many grants to kick off this essential rehabilitation, with private donors also meeting key funding needs for operations. The Foundation leads the rehabilitation and operates the building under a lease and operating agreement with the City.
Equally exciting, this summer the Foundation and City presented a come-back programming season after two years of a dark stage due to pandemic precautions. Visitors enjoyed live theater, music, and a Ghosts of the Tabor scavenger hunt, where guests participated in performances throughout the building. We also opened the entire building for tours, for our 6th summer.
We continue planning how to preserve and share the treasure discovered in our attic in 2020, the most significant collection of historic stage scenery in North America.
The Foundation and the City are slowly and steadily progressing toward our mission, to revitalize the Tabor Opera House and create a hub for culture and the arts in historic Leadville, Colorado. You can help!
Organization name
Tabor Opera House Preservation Foundation, Inc.
other names
TOHPF
2003
Tax id (EIN)
06-1714846
Category
Arts, Culture & Humanities
Address
308 Harrison AveMailing
P.O. Box 1004Lake County, CO, US
Chaffee County, CO, US
Summit County, CO, US
Leadville, CO, US, 80461
Eagle County, CO, US