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The Historic Homestake Opera House - Lead

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Lead Opera House and Recreation Center

The Lead Opera House and Recreation Center opened in 1914 as a gift from the Homestake Mining company to the people of Lead and the surrounding area.

Phoebe Hearst, widow of Homestake co-founder George Hearst, and Thomas J. Grier, Homestake Superintendent, at that time, collaborated on the facility's conception and construction.

The following video, produced by Historical Footprints, Inc., of Lead, and used here by permission, tells the story of the Opera House from its construction, through a disastrous fire in 1984 to its resurrection in the 1990s as a useful public entertainment and cultural center.

All photos courtesy: Historic Homestake Opera House

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To learn more about the Historic Homestake Opera House and view a schedule of current and upcoming events, please visit http://www.leadoperahouse.org/

For Teachers; Lesson Plan Density Bowling - During this activity your students will use household items to investigate density. They will complete an activity in which they will construct a density tube and use it in a game of Density Bowling. This is a great activity because the students will remember this activity every time they are looking for something in their kitchen. This is a density experiment that will last forever.