Tabor Opera House:
The opera house was built in 1879 by Horace Tabor, one of Colorado's most well known mining magnates. Construction was completed 100 days from the groundbreaking.
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| Tour Guide |
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| Inside the Box Office Slotted boards were used to keep track of sold seats |
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| Nice seating |
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| Box seats were placed on both sides |
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| Under the stage Leading lady's dressing room |
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| Leading lady's dressing room |
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| Under the stage Leading man's dressing room |
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| The stage |
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| There was seating for 880 |
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| This act emptied the house |
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| Stairs to the balcony |
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| Balcony view |
They said "If it plays on Broadway, it plays at the Tabor Opera House". Big names played on this stage including: Houdini, John Phillip Sousa, Oscar Wilde, Anna Held and even The Unsinkable Molly Brown.
National Mining Hall of Fame & Museum:
Leadville has experienced mining booms with Gold, Silver, Zinc, Lead, Copper and Molybdenum (the locals call it Molly). We went to the museum to find out how this happened.
Mining's colorful history is wonderfully displayed throughout the facility. We left with a greater appreciation for how mining has enriched our lives. We were constantly reminded that "Everything starts with mining. Everything!!!"
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| Flowers outside the museum |
Horace Tabor and his wife Baby Doe Tabor made millions from their Matchless Mine. Unfortunately, Horace died nearly penniless and Baby Doe died 35 years later as a pauper trying to regain their lost wealth.
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| Baby Doe's cabin (foreground) Matchless Mine (background) |
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| Hoist (shaft is about 500 feet deep) |
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| 1 ton ore car |
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| Tour guide Dennis explains how the ore gets to the smelter |
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| ore bucket (miners would often hitch a ride in the bucket) |
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| steam powered winch |
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| Carol takes us on a tour of Baby Doe's cabin |
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| north wall at entrance |
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| east wall picture gallery |
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| Baby Doe was Horace's 2nd wife |
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| southeast corner |
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| south wall, looking east |
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| After living in years of opulence, Baby Doe died of a heart attack, alone, in this cabin |
We saw a few more homes of interest as we drove around the town.
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| More Victorian homes |
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| Horace Tabor's home on E. 5th (He had others that were much larger) |
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| A miner's cabin, obviously not of Victorian style |
At 14, 433 feet, Mt. Elbert is the highest peak in the Rocky Mountains of North America and the second-highest mountain in the contiguous United States.
Tomorrow:
We're heading for Gunnison tomorrow.
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