Besides bars and bordellos, what did local residents do for entertainment when Park City was just starting out?
This is Hope Woodside with your weekly Park City History Bit.
Long before there was Sundance, Parkites enjoyed the theater. By 1880, vaudeville jugglers, singers and animal acts entertained at the Park Opera House on Main Street. Silent movies played in five different theaters on Main Street, including the Egyptian Theater. The Egyptian opened in 1926, and played off America’s new fascination with all things Egyptian that was spurred by the discovery of King Tut’s tomb.
The beautiful Grand Opera House was built in 1897, but sadly burned down 3 months after its grand opening in the Great Fire of 1898 and was never rebuilt.
This Park City History Bit is brought to you by the Park City Museum, where you can explore Park City history every day on Main Street, and sponsored by Julie Hopkins of Keller Williams Real Estate.