Renting the Theater
   
If you would like to rent the Elks Theater for your event, we can assist you with planning. The theater will be available upon re-opening for business in the summer of 2010. The Elks is a great venue for your wedding or any performance event you might need to accommodate. Full information on the dimension of the theater, green room, stage, backstage areas, lobby, and balcony can be obtain by contacting: dawn.castaneda@prescott-az.gov

A Little Bit Of History

The grand opening of the Elks Opera House was Monday, Feb. 20, 1905. Actress Florence Roberts acted in the opening-night play, Marta of the Lowlands, written by Angel Guimera and billed as a romance of old Spain. The orchestra was composed of musicians from Prescott, Jerome and Phoenix. Opera boxes sold for $20.00 and general admission was $2.50. The box office proceeds totaled $1,225, leaving a $600 to $700 net profit for the Elks Lodge.

The Advent of Cinema - The 1915 film masterpiece, Birth of a Nation, was shown at the Elks in 1916. During the silent film era, the theater had a small orchestra to provide the accompanying music. By 1929, the silent movie days were over, their demise owing to the Western Electric sound system. Movies were a mainstay of the Elks Opera House through the 1970s, with live performances returning in the 1980s.

Major physical changes started at the Elks Opera House in the 1940s, when the opera boxes and ornamental finishes were removed to accommodate wide-screen movies. The copper elk statue atop the roof and an inside box office also eventually disappeared as did a second set of balcony stairs.

Under New Management - The Arizona Community Foundation purchased the Elks Opera House in 1982. That same year the building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Yavapai College managed the theater from the mid-1980s until 1992, when the college’s performing arts center was built. Prescott College succeeded as Elks manager and during its stewardship, the building benefited from many grant-funded structural repairs and equipment upgrades.

The City of Prescott acquired the Elks Opera House from The Elks the Arizona Community Foundation in February 2001, paying $250,000 in a bid to preserve the historic landmark and ensure its continued use as a community gathering place. The Elks Opera House Foundation was organized by a group of Prescott citizens in late 2002 as a non-profit, tax exempt Arizona corporation.

The latest step in the renovation of this grand old theatre is currently underway and continues through November 15, 2007. This phase includes the renovation of the inner (2nd) lobby, concessions upgrades, and the installation of a new, state-of-the-art sound system. In the lobby the existing dropped ceiling has been removed, the artwork will be restored, and the electrical wiring and fixtures are being upgraded. The concessions upgrades will include the addition of a new soda fountain, refrigeration, ice machine, ice well and hand sink. The existing concession stand will be refinished. The City of Prescott is contributing over $135,000 to the sound system and concessions. An Arizona Heritage fund grant and a match by the Arizona Questers will fund the $40,000 lobby renovation.