Colorado Chautauqua is a Piece of Living History

One of the most popular venues in Boulder is the Chautauqua Auditorium, which is a historic landmark with a long history. The Chautauqua Movement began in the late 1800s as a means to share cultural and educational experiences with people in small towns. Performers of all kinds, including speakers, educators, actors, and others traveled a national Chautauqua circuit of more than 12,000 sites. This circuit brought lectures, performances, concerts, classes, and exhibitions to thousands of people who otherwise had little opportunity to experience such culture and entertainment.

The Colorado Chautauqua is one of three remaining Chautauquas in the United States today, and it’s the only site that continuously operates and maintains its original structures west of the Mississippi River. Located at the base of Boulder’s Flatirons, Chautauqua Park is on the National Register of Historic Places and is a well-known local landmark situated on 26 acres of land.

The Auditorium, which was built in 1898, has been voted one of the top ten places artists love to play because of its superior acoustics and intimate feel. The Dining Hall was constructed that same year and is now open all year long, offering delicious cuisine to visitors. The Academic Hall is home to Chautauqua’s administrative offices and was the first collegiate-level summer school in Colorado. It was built in 1900. And lastly, the Community House, completed in 1918, is a striking example of Arts and Crafts architecture, though the building has been winterized and renovated.

The Colorado Chautauqua hosts numerous events all year long, from music to dance to films and lectures, and the Colorado Music Festival (CMF). CMF takes place each summer and offers hundreds of performances by extremely talented and award-winning musicians. The upcoming season of CMF includes a five-concert violin mini-festival; “Ansel Adams: America” composed by Chris and Dave Brubeck; a Festival-commissioned world premiere by Patrick Zimmerli;  Schubert’s Unfinished Symphony with the Colorado premiere of Marcel Tyberg’s two movement completion to Schubert’s Unfinished Symphony, and much more.

Visit the Colorado Chautauqua center for any of its varied events and you’ll find yourself in a living history exhibit, where past meets present and creativity abounds. No visit to the Boulder area would be complete without taking in a show at this unique venue.