Woodstock Opera House

Woodstock Opera House

The Opera House was built in 1889 to house the library, council room, justice court, fire department & auditorium for the City of Woodstock.

The Opera House is a fully modernized theatre while retaining its historical cusine. It features contemporary sound, lighting, stage rigging, heating, air-conditioning and other amenities and is owned and operated by the City of Woodstock.

Its architectural style is a mixture of late Victorian-era tastes combined with Early American, Midwestern, Gothic & even Moorish elements. The interior is modeled after the showboats of the time.

Legend has it that the Opera House is home to a ghost, dubbed "Elvira" by the local theater folk.

She was said to have been crushed when she didn't get a part and she committed suicide by jumping from the tower of the theater, although other variations include "Elvira" hanging herself from the bell tower and throwing herself from the fly grid after a love trist gone wrong.

The venue is featured prominently in the film Groundhog Day as "The Pennsylvanian Hotel."

Location

Woodstock
McHenry County
Illinois, USA

Getting There

The town of Woodstock is located in McHenry County, about 50 miles northwest of Chicago.

If you are driving, you can take I-90 or Route 14 to get to Woodstock. There are several parking options available near the opera house, including on-street parking and public parking lots.

If you are traveling by public transportation, you can take the Metra Union Pacific/Northwest Line from Chicago to the Woodstock Station. From there, it's a short walk to the Woodstock Opera House.

Nearby Airports

This is a list of primary airports in Illinois that have scheduled passenger service on commercial airlines.