Crosby 's Opera House ( 1865 – 1871 ) was an opera house in Chicago , Illinois , United States . It was founded by Uranus H. Crosby in 1865 with the goal of advancing the arts in Chicago by bringing opera to the city . The five-story building was designed by William W. Boyington and contained statues of painting , sculpture , music and commerce that welcomed visitors as they entered through the arch of the building . After holding only occasional performances , Crosby ran into many business difficulties that resulted in a decision to sell the building in 1866 . The Crosby Opera House Art Association was formed to help Crosby sell the building by lottery . The lottery distributed over 210,000 tickets , awarding purchasers great works of art and even the building itself . After being sold back to Crosby by the lottery winner , A.H. Lee , the hall began producing more consistent performances . The opera house stood for less than six and a half years before it was destroyed in the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 and was never rebuilt . In 1989 the city demolished the deteriorated properties and have only recently made plans for redevelopment . During the city 's twenty-year discussion regarding what to do with the property , it was used as an art studio for Chicago public school students and as a skating rink through the winter season
Great Chicago Fire
Great Chicago Fire
Crosby's Opera House