From Curran Opera House to Movie Palace The Boulder Theater’s story begins in 1906, when it first opened as the Curran Opera House. Built by James Curran, the venue quickly became the cultural center of Boulder, hosting stage shows, silent films, orchestras, and even political rallies. In 1920, Franklin D. Roosevelt spoke there while campaigning […]

Every Boulderite knows that Chautauqua is up on 900 Baseline Road in Boulder, but how did it get there? And what is a Chautauqua anyway? The Chautauqua movement of the late 19th century was an effort to educate rural communities who lacked access to the mass culture being developed in cities. The movement lasted from the […]