pioneer center for the arts

Cost is a whooping $3/person in a/c van visiting historic areas of St.George where performers in costume as the character they are portraying give their history. Will take between 2-3 hours and well worth the time and can't beat the price.

A restored block of pioneer buildings. Includes the Opera House, the Social Hall and the Art Museum. Not large but nice history lesson in three old but restored buildings.

Beautiful art work for a little town that takes 2nd fiddle to Vegas.

Very nice for adults as you can take time to walk around and visit, but probably not the greatest place for kids

I like to visit St. George during their heritage days each January. There are always performances, exhibits and other celebrations. This year, 2012, was noteworthy as the city was celebrating its sesquicentennial. Pioneer Center for the Arts was the location for several celebratory events. The center was originally built in 1872, and has been renovated and restored while retaining its original pioneer character. There are three buildings at the Center. The mayor and city commissioners served free root beer floats and cookies on January 14th in the Social Hall. This is an annual tradition. People could sit in the social hall and enjoy their refreshments and hear a string quartet. I went to two performances in the Opera House. It is a small structure that seats about 120 on folding chairs. The first performance was a Gilbert and Sullivan Festival by the Lieto Voices, conducted by Norman Lister. Early pioneer audiences enjoyed Gilbert and Sullivan, and so did the modern audience. The acoustics were wonderful, and the performers were excellent. Later I saw a one man show. Porter Rockwell Returns, by Larry Anderson. It was very well done too. Both performances were at no charge, but I had to go early to secure a seat. I was sorry I missed "Woman with Black Shawl," a one-woman play about Native Americans by Sharon French. There are events at the opera house all year, so check the schedule if you are in the area. I also visited the Art Museum, the third building in the Center. It is 10,000 square feet, and features permanent as well as traveling exhibits. It is open Tuesdays through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Adults are $2.00 and children are $1.00. During heritage days admission was free, and there were exhibits celebrating early pioneer life. There is a vibrant fine arts community in St. George with many private galleries and an arts center that teaches classes in weaving, sculpture, painting and other arts. The collection at the museum was robust and featured items comparable to those I have seen in larger and more famous museums. Parking is free at Pioneer Center, and there was ample parking even during special events because people could also park on the street at no charge.