The Opera House became McHenry County’s center for entertainment hosting touring vaudeville, minstrel and dramatic companies.

When the traveling circuits disappeared in the early 20th century, the Opera House became the site for the Chicago-area's first, however short-lived, summer stock theatre.

Three plays were presented — Trilby, Hamlet and Tsar Paul — featuring Welles, Hilton Edwards and Micheál MacLiammóir of Dublin's Gate Theatre, Louise Prussing, Charles O'Neal and Constance Heron.

Its architectural style is a mixture of late Victorian-era tastes combined with Early American, Midwestern, Gothic, and even Moorish elements.

It features historic furnishings, stained glass windows, tin ceilings, original woodwork and hand drawn stencil ornamentations.

Situated on the historic square in downtown Woodstock, the Opera House is one of the oldest continuously operating theatres in the country.

It features contemporary sound, lighting, stage rigging, heating, air-conditioning and other amenities and is owned and operated by the City of Woodstock.