The Opera House is New Zealand’s last Victorian theatre.  It was built in 1899 by local builder, Nicholas Meuli, to plans drawn up by a Wellington architect, George Stevenson, who had won the architectural competition ran by Wanganui Borough Council the year before.

The Opera House was opened on 9 February 1900 by Premier, Richard Seddon, and has been in almost continuous use ever since, both as a theatre and as a cinema for a number of years.   It received a Royal charter in 1999 to mark its centenary and is now known as the Royal Wanganui Opera House.

You can visit the Opera House during office hours, provided the theatre is not in use, and guided group tours can be arranged on request.

There is an active Friends of the Opera House group that you can join to support the theatre.  Details of this and how to contact the Opera House office can be found on the website www.royaloperahouse.co.nz.