Amenities
In 1902, a raging fire destroyed
the two main blocks of downtown Reedley. Instrumental
in rebuilding was local Danish grain merchant Jesse
Jansen. He organized the downtown merchants to work
together to rebuild most of the structures in brick.
In 1903, Jansen built a half block of brick buildings
which included Reedley's first bank, real estate and
insurances offices, and The Opera House. Built at Jansen's
own expense, The Opera House was to serve as a cultural
and community center for the Reedley area.
The Opera House was the forerunner of today's multipurpose
community center. The Reedley Exponent archives mention
traveling stage shows, operettas, community plays,
political speeches, grand balls, square dances, band
concerts, town meetings, box suppers, graduations,
and church revivals as the types of activities at The
Opera House. For four years, The Opera House served
as a Catholic church.
Its heyday ended in the early 1920s with the introduction
and popularity of movie houses.
The remodeling of The Opera House began in 1983 and
took nine months to complete. In 1986 The Opera House
was featured in Sunset Magazine. The same year it was
also listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
In early 2001, Art and Pat Bergthold and Makiji and
Ruth Hase donated the fully restored Opera House to
the City of Reedley for use as a cultural arts center
dedicated to family entertainment and as a facility
for community and private events. The City of Reedley
is committed to preserving The Opera House as a community
treasure that reflects our local history and culture.
Throughout the entire complex are reminders of a past
gone, but not forgotten. The City of Reedley invites
you to experience the kind of ambiance and luxury exemplified
by the turn of the century.
Today the Reedley Opera House is home to Reedley’s River City Theatre
The
Reedley Opera House
1720 10th Street
Reedley, California 93654
(559) 638-6500 (Reedley's River City Theatre Co.)
Reedley
Opera House