A theater dating from 1885, rotating summer installations and an arboreta with about 4,000 trees give Chautauqua an unusual cultural and scenic setting. Much of this can be found on the grounds of the Chautauqua Institution: historic buildings and arts venues are joined by gardens, green spaces and a lakeshore. For planning, it is worth checking the season, since both the summer art and the opera program change.
Historic Buildings and Arts Venues
The Bratton Theater was built in 1885 and is one of the oldest buildings on the grounds of the Chautauqua Institution. The renovated theater opened in 2000 with 269 seats. Its construction history and later renovation give the venue two distinct historical points of reference.
The CVA Galleries include the Strohl Art Center, the Fowler-Kellogg Art Center and the Melvin Johnson Sculpture Garden. The Strohl Art Center at 33 Wythe Avenue is a contemporary exhibition space with 6,000 square feet of space, white walls, hardwood floors and high ceilings. Built in 1889 and restored, the Fowler-Kellogg Art Center has two stories and is designed in the Queen Anne style. It was formerly known as Anne M. Kellogg Memorial Hall. A coffered wooden ceiling and Brazilian cherry floors are among its distinctive architectural details.
Opera in the Seasonal Program
Founded in 1929, the Chautauqua Opera Company is North America's oldest continuously operating summer opera company. During the season, it uses Norton Hall and the Jane A. Gross Opera Center. Each season, the company offers more than 30 opera events, including three mainstage productions in historic Norton Hall, with 1,300 seats, and in the Chautauqua Institution Amphitheater, with 4,000 seats.
The program also includes concerts with the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra, weekly artsong recitals, opera performances for young audiences, Young Artist Open-Mic evenings and Opera Invasions. The formats range from mainstage productions to concerts and offerings for young audiences. Since the program can vary by season, check current dates and access information before your trip, especially if you have a particular format in mind.
Summer Art and Landscape
The Melvin Johnson Sculpture Garden features changing sculptures and installations by various contemporary artists each summer. The works on display may change; if specific works are important to your trip, check in advance what is currently on view. The grounds also have numerous small public gardens, green spaces and parks. The lakeshore landscape has been modified in an environmentally sustainable way.
The Chautauqua Bird, Tree and Garden Club Arboreta encompasses the 250-acre grounds of the Chautauqua Institution. Chautauqua Lake forms its western boundary; a fence bounds the area to the north, south and east. The arboreta includes about 4,000 trees among 1,200 private residences and 164 Institution buildings, three wooded ravines and two wooded areas totaling 15 acres. In this way, small garden plots and individual arts venues sit alongside a landscape that encompasses the entire Institution grounds.
Getting Around and Planning Your Visit
Walking and cycling are the usual ways to get around the grounds of the Chautauqua Institution, especially during the Summer Assembly Season. An Institution gate pass provides unlimited access to the grounds and general admission to all events in the Amphitheater. If you want to plan your overnight stay around a particular summer program, coordinate your travel dates with the current events calendar.
Discover more destinations: Yorkshire, Franklinville, Ellicottville, Allegany, Salamanca.
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