Arguably the main historical attraction between the two gaming towns is the Central City Opera House (124 Eureka St., Central City, 303/292-6500, www.centralcityopera.org [1]). The Opera House was built in 1878, as riches were being dug out of the nearby mines daily and people wanted to celebrate their newfound wealth with the most decadent buildings.
When the bottom dropped out on the silver boom, the Opera House was closed. In 1932, it was refurbished and reopened with a performance of Camille starring Lillian Gish. They have been putting on shows ever since and celebrated the 130th birthday in 2008. There are three different operas staged each summer festival season.
There are tours of this National Historic Landmark stone building and the trompe l’oeil murals in the summer.
Over 100 opera houses were built in Colorado between 1860 and 1920, and the Central City Opera House is one of only 13 still in use.
Links:
[1] http://www.centralcityopera.org