Summer & outdoor theater / Downtown Coldwater (Branch County)
Tibbits Opera House
Coldwater's 1882 opera house, designed by Detroit architect Mortimer Smith. It calls itself the second oldest operating theatre in Michigan: pro summer theatre, plus concerts, films and kids' shows year-round.
Next up: Sweet Tooth Gallery Art Work Drop Off · Tue, Nov 10 · 5:00 PM
Quick facts
- Opened
- 1882
- Architect
- Mortimer Smith
- Style
- French Second Empire
- Resident companies
- Tibbits Summer Theatre · Tibbits Popcorn Theatre
- Formerly
- Converted to a movie theatre in the 1930s (Art Deco facade)
01 / Playbill
Now on stage
From the venue’s own calendar, updated automatically. Tap a title for details and tickets.
- Nov 105:00 PM
Sweet Tooth Gallery Art Work Drop OffNov 10 - Nov 115:30 PMFIT Assessment Community Feedback ForumNov 11
- Nov 217:00 PMThe 1985: an '80s tribute brings its mixtape to Tibbits Opera House in ColdwaterNov 21
- Dec 145:00 PMAuditions for "The Mad Adventures of Mr. Toad"2 performances · Dec 14 – Dec 15
- Dec 187:00 PMSiberian Solstice: a Trans-Siberian Orchestra tribute at Coldwater's Tibbits Opera HouseDec 18
- Jan 85:00 PMHenry Clay Lewis Art Collection PresentationJan 8
- Jan 195:30 PM2027 Tibbits Annual MeetingJan 19
- Jan 237:00 PMWinter Fest Tribute BandJan 23
- Feb 67:00 PMAnimaniacs In ConcertFeb 6
- Mar 137:00 PMComedy Fest 2027Mar 13
- Mar 187:00 PMThe Mad Adventures of Mr. Toad3 performances · Mar 18 – Mar 20
- May 155:00 PMIn the Wings: Tibbits Opera House 2026–2027 SeasonMay 15
02 / The story of this place
Make time for these
Tibbits Opera House went up in downtown Coldwater in 1882 to designs by Detroit architect Mortimer Smith, with a French Second Empire facade. In the 1930s it became a “modern” movie house with an Art Deco tile front, then closed in the 1950s and was nearly demolished. The Coldwater Players, the Sweet Adelines and others stepped in and formed the Tibbits Opera Foundation and Arts Council, which bought it in 1962. A horseshoe balcony, box seats and the proscenium arch survive, and restoration to the original design has been under way since a 1998 feasibility study. Each summer the professional Tibbits Summer Theatre stages a repertory season, and year-round the house hosts concerts, films, the children's Popcorn Theatre and an art gallery.
- Standing since 1882, by a Detroit architect
- Horseshoe balcony and box seats
- Professional repertory theatre in summer
Plan your visit
The theatre is at 14 S Hanchett St in downtown Coldwater. Need a wheelchair space? Request it when you buy tickets or pick it online. Events are at tibbits.org, or call (517) 278-6029.
Accessibility
Wheelchair spaces (blue on the seating chart) must be requested when buying tickets or chosen online.
A closer look
Theaters nearby
Back to theaters ↗
Summer & outdoor theater / Augusta
Barn Theatre (Augusta)
A former dairy barn in Augusta, between Kalamazoo and Battle Creek, that grew into one of Michigan's best-known Equity summer stock theatres. 2026 is its 80th season, and after the show the night rolls on at the Rehearsal Shed bar.
Summer & outdoor theater / Grand Rapids
Circle Theatre
Grand Rapids' summer community theatre since 1953. It started in a hotel room, then played a park pavilion that housed the zoo's monkeys in winter. Today it's at Aquinas College's Performing Arts Center.
Broadway & big houses / Grand Rapids
DeVos Performance Hall (Broadway Grand Rapids)
Grand Rapids' big 2,404-seat stage, where the Broadway tours land and the Grand Rapids Symphony plays. This fall brings The Notebook and Maybe Happy Ending, and The Phantom of the Opera arrives in August 2027.
Save the plan. Share the moment.
