John Piper's first opera house opened here in 1863. It burned in the Great Fire of October 26, 1875. A second one opened on January 28, 1878 and burned on March 13, 1883.
The building you see today opened with a grand ball on March 6, 1885. It switched from gas to electric lighting in 1900.
Mark Twain lectured on the original stage in 1866 and again in 1868. Later stars included Edwin Booth, Lillie Langtry, John Philip Sousa, and Al Jolson. It joined the National Register of Historic Places on March 21, 1997.