Dozens of community leaders were on hand today in Van Buren for the re-opening of the historic King Opera House.
The building was shut down last year after a fire.
The building caught fire last year after a metal ladder hit an electric wire.
While they were making repairs after the fire, they also took the time to restore the building, keeping it closed for more than a year. But now it's back and better than ever.
The King Opera House in Van Buren is facing new beginnings.
The historic building re-opened Sunday after being closed for over a year. "She's a wonderful lady and as a diamond in our community, it's important that we recognize that," said Van Buren Mayor Bob Freeman
But it's not just citizens of Van Buren who recognize the building's importance.
J.R. Sellers and his band come from Talequah, Oklahoma to play country gospel music there every third Saturday of the month.
It's been more than a year since he's performed at the opera house, and he's ready to be back. "King Opera House- great acoustics. We have people come to the Tulsa area up North and all around. They come here just because of the theatre and how it looks and because of the little train and the old town. They kinda use it as a weekend vacation type thing. So it works out good for us," said Sellers.
The Women's League of Van Buren hosted the ribbon cutting ceremony.
They have also been involved with the restoration and repairs to the opera house since the early eighties. "Main St. Van Buren itself is very historic. The preservation is important. You can go to a lot of towns and cities and see all the modern stores like Wal-Mart and Target. But this is historical. We tried to make it as much like the original Van Buren was years ago and King Opera House is a part of that," said Women's League president Mary Blount.
This is not the first time the King Opera House was out for repairs.
It fell into disrepair and was re-opened in the late 70's.
They are now open for tours and performances.
The King Opera House was built in the late 1800's. It is owned by the city of Van Buren.
The building was shut down last year after a fire.
The building caught fire last year after a metal ladder hit an electric wire.
While they were making repairs after the fire, they also took the time to restore the building, keeping it closed for more than a year. But now it's back and better than ever.
The King Opera House in Van Buren is facing new beginnings.
The historic building re-opened Sunday after being closed for over a year. "She's a wonderful lady and as a diamond in our community, it's important that we recognize that," said Van Buren Mayor Bob Freeman
But it's not just citizens of Van Buren who recognize the building's importance.
J.R. Sellers and his band come from Talequah, Oklahoma to play country gospel music there every third Saturday of the month.
It's been more than a year since he's performed at the opera house, and he's ready to be back. "King Opera House- great acoustics. We have people come to the Tulsa area up North and all around. They come here just because of the theatre and how it looks and because of the little train and the old town. They kinda use it as a weekend vacation type thing. So it works out good for us," said Sellers.
The Women's League of Van Buren hosted the ribbon cutting ceremony.
They have also been involved with the restoration and repairs to the opera house since the early eighties. "Main St. Van Buren itself is very historic. The preservation is important. You can go to a lot of towns and cities and see all the modern stores like Wal-Mart and Target. But this is historical. We tried to make it as much like the original Van Buren was years ago and King Opera House is a part of that," said Women's League president Mary Blount.
This is not the first time the King Opera House was out for repairs.
It fell into disrepair and was re-opened in the late 70's.
They are now open for tours and performances.
The King Opera House was built in the late 1800's. It is owned by the city of Van Buren.
