Celebrating Excellence in Preservation: The Wheeler Opera House Receives Prestigious State Honor Award

For over 30 years, Colorado Preservation, Inc. (CPI) has celebrated individuals, organizations, and projects that exhibit leadership and dedication to preserving Colorado’s extraordinary cultural resources. As a nonprofit historic preservation advocacy organization, CPI champions the conservation and integration of historic sites within communities across the state. One of the key platforms for recognizing outstanding preservation efforts is through CPI’s annual Dana Crawford and Alpine Bank State Honor Awards. These awards highlight projects that showcase the economic and community benefits of preserving historical places, with a particular focus on exemplary adaptive reuse.

In May 2024, the Wheeler Opera House was honored with the prestigious State Honor Award at CPI’s 34th Annual Dana Crawford and Alpine Bank State Honor Awards, held at the Denver Botanic Gardens. This accolade highlights the exceptional work undertaken in the multi-year exterior restoration of the historic building.

The restoration project included a comprehensive investigation of the original materials used in the construction of the Wheeler Opera House, leading to the replacement of sandstone where necessary, tuckpointing, and painting.

Replacement sandstone was meticulously sourced from a quarry in Wyoming to match the original material as closely as possible. Further research on the type and color of paint resulted in the removal of non-historical paint layers and the application of more historically accurate colors to specific features. The project also reversed alterations made over the years, allowing the building to be appreciated in its original architectural splendor.

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972 and designated as a local Aspen landmark in 1981, the Wheeler Opera House holds significant architectural and cultural value. This restoration not only preserves the building’s historical integrity but also ensures its continued role as a cultural centerpiece in Aspen. The importance of our work as a community gathering place and space for artistic expression does not go unnoticed in the world of national historic preservation, this featured article in Preservation Magazine tell the story of opera houses across the country, including the Wheeler.

Connecting five opera houses in the Colorado mountains, learn more about the Colorado Historic Opera House Circuit.

The CHOHC is funded by the Colorado Tourism Office, through its 2024 Marketing Matching Grant, and a collective partner contribution.