Take a look back at Shreveport's Grand Opera House: Twin Blends History Corner
According to the late Eric Brock, the Grand Opera House was built in 1888 and closed it's doors in 1926. It sat at the corner of Texas and Edwards Streets in downtown Shreveport right where the Chase Bank sits now.
During this time, it was grand in so many ways! It not only featured opera but also vaudeville acts, musicals and even motion pictures there toward the end. Actually, the Grand Opera was the first place in Shreveport to show motion pictures!
The famous Marx Brothers performed here as well! It seated around 1,500 people and was lit by gas until 1905 when it was electrified.
Rather than spending $250,000 to remodel the Grand Opera House, Shreveport chose to spend $750,000 on a new theater (the Strand Theater). The Chase Bank building now sits at this site. Old photos courtesy Northwest Louisiana Archives at LSUS Colorized by Twin Blends Photography LLC
History Corner is produced in partnership with Mark and Mike Mangham of Twin Blends.
This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: Take a look back at Shreveport's Grand Opera House: Twin Blends History Corner
