History

In the early 1900’s brothers Louis and Otto Seekatz constructed the Seekatz Opera House in New Braunfels, Texas on San Antonio Street. Seekatz Opera House played host to the many and varying forms of traveling entertainment at that time including opera. Due to the popularity of these events Seekatz Opera House quickly became the center of entertainment and social activity in New Braunfels. For operas and theater productions, and later motion pictures, seating took place on the main floor while the balconies were packed with spectators and food and beverages were served from the dining room and kitchen housed in the basement.

Due to it’s beauty and spaciousness the Seekatz Opera House also thrived with local events throughout the year including many Fourth of July Celebration Dances, New Year’s Eve Firemen’s Balls, Kindermaskenballs and New Braunfels’ seventy-fifth anniversary celebration concerts in 1920. Later, the Candy Kitchen, a popular place for young people to gather, was moved in to the lobby bar of the Opera House and was sold to the operator there in 1937. Seekatz Opera House remained the premier event, meeting and production center in New Braunfels until it was tragically destroyed by fire on January 21, 1941.

Seekatz was later rebuilt and after being many things and undergoing many renovations over the years in 2004 Seekatz Opera House underwent the first full renovation since it’s reconstruction after the 1941 fire. Today, Seekatz Opera House is as beautiful as ever.

For more information we suggest you contact the Sophienburg Museum and Archives and we thank them for their dedication and help.