03/27/2026
OPERA HOUSE UPDATES!!! It's been a while since we've shared - let us fill you in on what we've been up to in this ol' space!
The "Big Stuff!"... Liquor License is approved. Internet is installed. Furnaces have been serviced. The plumbing gave us the most excitement of all... after thawing out frozen pipes during the tundra-times of winter, the main pipe burst and flooded the basement with inches of water, followed by another burst line in the bathroom and many repairs to the toilet/urinal facilities... not fun to deal with but also not terribly unexpected, given the space has been vacant and unused for so many years!
Inside the Main Hall... we're wrapping up our refresh of this space, nothing too crazy here. The Main Hall is a blank canvas, a big ol' room with lots of potential! We gave the walls a fresh new color scheme and while we were at it, we discovered some fun old wallpaper patterns, paint colors and memorabilia from decades past... (check out the pic of the old "Tripoli Bowl Inn" scraper, from back in the day when this was the original home to the bowling alley!)
The Game Room... We dedicated the area between the Main Hall and the Bar as our Game Room - it's a fun spot to hang out while you're visiting, with a pool table, jukebox and claw machine!
The Bar... this just might be our favorite part! We spent a little extra time here to make it warm and inviting... the highlight for us was the installation of our one-of-a-kind, handcrafted bar top, built by 'Uncle Darrel' Steege, (pictured below) of Waverly, IA. It is beautifully crafted from spalted maple, harvested from their family property right here in Bremer county! We are so grateful for the time spent and getting to work together on this beautiful statement piece - it will be enjoyed and talked over for years to come!
What's left... we have some ongoing projects, as well as minor repairs/updates on the exterior of the building. Old/historic buildings can be quite quirky; often times they come with surprises and require lots of TLC along the way. Our goal is not to make it "new," but instead make intentional updates while preserving the history of the building(s) as much as possible in order to create a unique space where memories can be made for years to come!
That's all for now... keep an eye out for info about our first events and our upcoming *OPEN HOUSE*... this will be an opportunity for you to stop in, say 'hello' and check-out the space!
Thanks for being here!
We can't wait to serve you!
