Batcher Block Opera House

Mission: Preserve and activate the historic Batcher Block as an inclusive community hub for arts, connection, and lifelong well‑being.

Campaign Purpose: The Accessibility Capital Campaign lifts more than people from floor-to-floor in our space, it lifts our whole community. By funding a new, fully accessible elevator and inclusive upgrades at the Batcher Block Opera House, we remove physical barriers and widen the circle of belonging, across income, age, identity, language, and ability, so everyone can enter, participate, perform, work, and lead here. Accessibility is our ethic, not just our architecture.

About: Built in 1907 by Charles Batcher and originally situated on the historic Jefferson Highway, a north-south highway that connected Winnipeg to New Orleans. Along this route, Staples, MN was known as a “Traveler’s Rest” lauding 25,000 train passengers and 1,000 automobiles per day in the early 1900’s. And like many other rural towns, opera houses offered space for artistic performance and public assembly. These multi-level structures are typified by lower level offices or club rooms, and a second level stage with adjoining dressing rooms. Unlike single purpose opera houses or music halls of England, they operated as community chambers, a gathering place for any event requiring seating for a few hundred – high school graduations, town celebrations, touring lecturers, performers, like Mickey Rooney, Louie Anderson and Lamont Cranston who graced the stage of Batcher Block Opera House over the years. 

Key Points:

• The Batcher Block Opera House is a living piece of Minnesota history, built in 1907.
• The Accessibility Capital Campaign lifts more than people from floor-to-floor in our space, it lifts our whole community.
• Its restoration is an act of preservation and rural revitalization.
• Its programming has a multi-generational focus, prioritizing 360-wellness.
• The Batcher-Frost Foundation Friends is the board of directors leading this accessibility and preservation initiative under the fiscal sponsorship of LEAP, Inc. #31-1740634
• The project includes preservation stewardship from Colleen Frost, architectural work by Toby Rapson, creative direction and strategy by Liz Gardner and Josef Harris of Maison Bodega, and communications and commercial development by Ruari Mahon of Loughlin Joseph. 
• Every contribution, large or small, moves us closer to creating 'Access for All'.