National Theatre of Costa Rica Historical Timeline

The theatre's origins trace to a moment of civic embarrassment: touring European opera star Adelina Patti reportedly skipped Costa Rica during an 1890s regional tour because the country had no venue suitable for her performance. In response, Costa Rica's coffee-growing elite backed a special export tax specifically to fund the construction of a world-class national theatre, determined that the country would never again be passed over for lack of a proper stage.

Built between 1890 and 1897 with European architects and craftsmen and materials imported directly from Europe, the theatre opened in October 1897 with a performance of Gounod's "Faust" — and has remained in continuous use as Costa Rica's premier performance venue and a symbol of the country's late-19th-century prosperity ever since.