Matthews Opera House And Arts Center

Opened in 1906 the Matthews Opera House was the setting for stage productions and traveling shows through the 1930’s. Built by a local Wyoming rancher, Thomas Matthews, at the cost of $50,000, the Opera House opened on December 3, 1906 with a political farce-comedy called “The Lion and the Mouse."  Throughout the next 10 years the popularity of the Opera House remained unquestioned.  Many traveling repertory companies paid repeated visits to the Matthews during that time.  However, as the decade drew to a close in 1919, competition from “moving pictures” developed in Spearfish and fewer live performances were scheduled.