The Main Street Opera House The Main Street Opera House is the building that sits on the East Side of Town Square. It was one of the first permanent buildings built at Disneyland, and during it’s first year, the massive building, which was originally designed as a television studio, served as a lumber mill for Disneyland construction.
It wasn’t until a few years after the park opened that the opera house was finally opened to the public in the form of a television set. The "20,000 Leagues Under The Sea" exhibit in Tomorrowland was a big success. The public was unaccustomed to being able to walk through actual movie sets, and based on that success in Tomorrowland, the sets from the newly completely Disney movie "Babes in Toyland" were moved into the vacant sound stage. Within the next 4 years it would also be used for television broadcasts and as the official headquarters of the Mickey Mouse Club.
But in 1965, "Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln" premiered at the Opera House. The show features an animatronic recreation of President Lincoln who delivers an inspirational speech. After the show was replaced in 1973 with "The Walt Disney Story", public outcry brought Mr. Lincoln back and since 1975 both presentation have lived in harmony.
Currently residing in the Opera House as part of "The Walt Disney Story" are many Disneyland artifacts. Along with recreations of Walt’s Burbank offices, sits one of the original electric Disneyland shuttle cars. A small video segment showcasing the construction of Disneyland is also on display.
