Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires – An Iconic Opera House with Guided Tours

All You Need To Know When Visiting the Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires

The Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires was one of the key attractions that we wanted to visit on our trip to Argentina.  We are both very fond of the arts and culture and had previously read that this is one of the best theatres in the world.  

The Teatro Colón (Columbus Theatre) is an iconic opera house with guided tours that are available to visit its main sections including the Main Foyer, Bust Gallery, Golden Hall and Main Room.

Highlights of Teatro Colón

✅ This is the tour that we took at the Teatro Colon. Click here to secure your tickets.

What Is Special About Teatro Colón?

We had booked a tour to get an in-depth look at this magnificent Opera House.  We have to admit,  we are not opera lovers, but we were very willing to do the tour nonetheless.  And we were more than pleasantly surprised.

The Teatro was architected specifically to enhance the exceptional acoustics of the main room.  As such, it has attained the prestigious status of other world-famed opera houses such as the Scala in Milan, the Paris Opera, the Vienna Opera, the Convent Garden in London and the Metropolitan Opera in New York.

Because of the near-perfect sound quality of the Opera, every significant performer in the last 100 years has graced the halls of this magnificent building.  Exalted singers such as Enrico Caruso, Plácido Domingo and Luciano Pavarotti are just a few of the great artists who have performed here.  

The acoustics are so precise that Luciano Pavarotti, the renowned tenor, found it the most challenging theatre to sing in because it amplified every mistake.

This theatre is an architectural marvel, which was refurbished from 2005 to 2008 by more than 1500 workers at a cost of 100 million USD.  It has elaborate decor with carved columns, stunning stained glass windows and skylights and spacious anterooms.  

The main theatre is horseshoe-shaped and rises 6 storeys above ground and descends 3 storeys below.

✅ If you are looking for other things to do in Buenos Aires be sure to read our blog with loads of things to do and see.

History of the Opera House

The current building that houses the opera house in Buenos Aires is not the original opera.  A former building was used from 1857 until its closure in 1888.  

The new hall and current theatre was started in 1890 and was scheduled to be completed in 1892.  This was supposed to coincide with the 400th anniversary of the discovery of America by Christopher Columbus.  

Many architects participated in the building of the Colón Theatre, including Vittorio Meano, who was also the architect for the National Congress building, which is also located in the city of Buenos Aires.

Unfortunately, due to financial constraints, work progressed slowly and was eventually paused in 1894.  

The project was restarted in 1904 with a new opening and inauguration date of May 25, 1908.  Even though construction was not yet complete, the inauguration date was met with a performance by the Gran Compañía Lírica Italiana in the main hall of the Teatro Colón.

From 1908 to 1925 the Colón hired foreign companies to perform at its venerable theatre.  After 1925 it established its own Orchestra, Ballet and Choir and created production workshops, which allowed it to run its own seasons which were financed by the city budget.

The theatre has undergone restorations and renovations several times over the years including the creation of the the prop decoration and costume painting workshop in 1963.  Then in 1966 a fresh painting of the main dome was undertaken by Argentine painter Raúl Soldi.

Teatro Colon underwent an expansion from 1968 to 1972 that extended under the plaza and Cerrito Street which allowed for a new theatre production sector and more workshops,  Administrative offices and a staff dining room were also part of this new expansion.

Later, a production design studio and special effects workshops along with audio and visual effects workshops were also added.

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How Big Is Teatro Colón?

From the moment we walked into the main entrance and down to the resplendent grand theatre, we were awestruck by the size of the main hall.  The design of the hall is classical French and Italian with ornate gold balconies, and light fixtures throughout that resemble chandeliers and are capped by a large central dome adorned with colourful paintings.

The hall is 6 storeys high and measures 28 metres from the floor to the top. It is 29 metres wide with a length of 33 metres. The large dome is 318 square metres. The original paintings that decorated the dome had been made by Marcel Jambon, a 19th century French painter.  Unfortunately, those paintings were deteriorating by the 1930s and as a result, new paintings were applied to the dome by Argentine painter Raúl Soldi in 1966.

The main stage is 35 metres wide by 34 metres deep with an incline of 3 cms per metre.  There is an electrically operated 20 metre rotating disc set into the stage which allows scenes to be changed very quickly. 

What Is The Capacity Of The Teatro Opera Buenos Aires?

The Opera House of the Colón has a total capacity of 2,478 seats with standing room for an additional 500 people.  This makes for a very intimate venue to watch the grand performances that take place here.

The orchestra pit has a capacity for 120 musicians and has been equipped with a special resonance chamber that enhances the exceptional acoustics of the Teatro Colón.

When Are The Guided Tours?

If you are looking to take a guided tour of the theatre, they are available every day except May 1, December 24, 25 and 31 and January 1.

The tours last approximately 50 minutes and depart at various times depending on the language.

Spanish tours depart every 15 minutes from 10 am to 4:45 pm Monday to Friday and from 11 am to 4:45 pm Saturdays, Sundays and holidays.

English tours depart at 10 am, 11 am, 12 pm, 1:30 pm, 3 pm and 4 pm. Portuguese is only offered at 1 pm.

Payment methods include cash, debit or credit cards, but keep in mind that foreign currency is not accepted.

List Of World Famous Artists And Performers At Teatro Colón

Singers	Dancers	Orchestras	Composers/Directors
Enrico Caruso	Anna Pavlova	Vienna Philharmonic	Richard Straus
Beniamino Gigli	Vaslav Nijinsky	Philadelphia Symphony	Camille Saint-Saën
Lauritz Melchior	Rudolf Nureyev	New York Symphony	Pietro Mascagn
Mario del Monaco	Alicia Alonso	Berlin Philharmonic	Ottorino Respigh
Richard Tucker	Maia Plissetskaya	London Philharmonic	Arturo Toscanin
Alfredo Kraus	Margot Fonteyn		Herbert von Karaja
Plácido Domingo	Mijail Barishnikov		Héctor Panizz
José Carreras	Vladimir Vassiliev		Ferdinand Leitne
Luciano Pavarotti	Antonio Gades
Wolfgang Windgassen

Be sure to check the schedule of performances at this link.

The Final Word…Is Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires Worth It?

As one of the most prestigious and famed Opera Houses in the world, the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires is definitely worth a visit.  Its exceptional acoustics, and impressive Italian and French style have made this a must-do venue for the world’s top performers since the theatre opened.

Even if you are not a fan of opera, this architecturally stunning building is well worth putting on your bucket list when you visit Argentina.