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The Elks Opera House

The Elks Opera House opened in February of 1905 in the new Elks Building on Gurley Street at an estimated cost of $15,000. In its early decades, the Elks hosted live theater, vaudeville, political rallies, dances, movies and community events. It was noted for its exceptional acoustics and viewed as a first-class venue in the Western United States. Near mid-century it became exclusively a movie house. As the decades passed it changed hands many times, becoming once again a venue for live theater in the mid 1970s, and falling into disrepair as age took its toll. The grand old theater went dark on more than one occasion, awaiting a new buyer to save it from imminent destruction. In 2001, the City of Prescott purchased the Elks Opera House for $250,000. Major safety and accessibility repairs were completed 2002, financed by a Community Development Block Grant and matched by City of Prescott general fund revenues. In Feb. 2004, state grants and private donations funded the restoration of the Elks front lobby, which included a new chandelier, new carpeting and a stunning, hand-painted replica of the original decorative ceiling canvas that was discovered during restoration work. Painted designs on the walls were also uncovered and replicated by a local artist, who also recreated the ceiling canvas.

On June 5th, 1905 an Elk statue was installed on the roof of the newly opened Opera House. The elk had been made from copper donated by the United Verde Copper Mine in Jerome and was designed by John Segesman. The elk was manufactured by W. H. Mullins Art Metal Works Company in Salem, OH. In 1971, the elk was removed when Elks Club moved out of town choosing to take the elk with them to Prescott Valley. It remained there until October of 2006. After a long series of negotiations the elk was taken to be restored and reinstalled on the roof of the theater it once adorned. The elk was reinstalled on December 6, 2006 on to the same platform to which it had been attached in 1905, 101 years earlier.

The restoration of the Elk’s Theater elk is one of the ten recipients of 2007 Governor’s Honor Award for Heritage Preservation. The award will be presented at ceremony beginning at 5:00pm June 14th at the Elks Theater as part of the 5th Annual Arizona Statewide Historic Preservation Partnership Conference which will be held at the Elks Theater, Hassayampa Inn, and St. Michaels Hotel from June 13th through June 16th. Please see HYPERLINK http://www.azpreservation.org/c_conferences.php for more details.

The Elks Theater is located at 117 East Gurley Street in Downtown Prescott. It was entered on the National Register of Historic Places on December 14, 1978

For questions and/or additonal information, contact the State Historic Preservation Office at (602) 542-4174.

Arizona State Parks
1300 W. Washington
Phoenix, AZ 85007
(602) 542-4174

Unless otherwise noted, all images on this website are copyright Arizona State Parks.