03/31/2026
New opera house in Pacific, circa 1908
Opening on New Year's Eve in 1908, the Pacific Opera house was constructed using materials salvaged from the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair. It was project of business partners Lawrence P. McHugh and James J. Dailey and is located at the corner of South First Street and East Orleans Street. Originally, it served as a vaudeville theater and community center with a general store below it.
Over a century later, the opera house is still used for events and weddings as the Opera House of Pacific. Signatures from generations of graduates at Pacific High School cover the walls behind the stage, telling the rich history of the building. If you want to visit the historic opera house, call (636) 393-0489 to schedule a tour. The retail space on the ground floor is now home to Pacific Brew Haus and is restaurant worth checking out. Another place to visit is the neighboring Hoffman's Drive In which has been serving delicious treats for over sixty years.
Picture from State Historical Society of Missouri
