The Opera House was built in 1897; by the early 1970’s the Opera House had fallen into a bad state of disrepair and was closed. It stayed in darkness for 24 years until a group of volunteers decided to raise money to save it. The group named themselves the Friends of the Vergennes Opera House and with a great deal of help from the community, successfully raised and invested more than $1.5 million in the building—a monumental effort for such a small community. The Opera House proudly reopened its doors in July, 1997, with a performance by the Vermont Symphony Orchestra. Today it serves the 2,500 residents of Vergennes and a population of over 20,000 people from the surrounding area. Once again a vibrant, cultural and community performing arts facility, the Vergennes Opera House presents a diverse range of high quality, accessible performances and educational programs for children and adults. It is indeed unique, and the concerted effort to restore the Opera House has served as a catalyst for the revitalization of the entire Vergennes community. The Friends of the Vergennes Opera House are proud to be one of a network of Vermont community organizations working diligently to revitalize and reenergize historic opera houses and similar facilities as centers of Vermont community life.