Bird Cage Theatre - Tombstone, Arizona
Posted by: 
BruceS
N 31° 42.719 W 110° 03.915
12R E 588568 N 3508891
Historic theatre, gambling hall, saloon and brothel in the Tombstone Historic District in Tombstone, Arizona.
Waymark Code: WMHM2H
Location: Arizona, United States
Date Posted: 07/22/2013
Views: 9
The BIRD CAGE THEATER, 6th and Allen Sts., is an oblong adobe building having three plain front doors with fan windows and red brick Romanesque arches above. Built in 1881, it was the town's variety house, saloon, gambling house, and brothel. The theater was named for its birdcage-like boxes in its small auditorium. On each side is a row of seven boxes, one of which is level with the stage. During the first three years of its operation, the theater never closed its doors. The respectable folk of Tombstone shunned the Bird Cage, which very early acquired the reputation of a temple dedicated to the diversion of the lusty unattached, but the town s officials, notables, and local desperadoes could generally be found here when inquiries failed elsewhere. Marshal Wyatt Earp and his clan usually occupied the boxes on the left, while the Sheriff John H. Behan faction settled on the opposite side. Acts that were vociferously cheered by one side were immediately considered poison by the other, an aggressive partisanship said to have instigated several shootings within the little theater. This partisanship was probably intensified by the refreshments served on small tables in the boxes and on the main floor. There was also a room backstage where admirers were permitted to toast their favorites. Famous variety artists of the day appeared here.
The Bird Cage ceased to be a theater in the 1890'a, and is now a dining room and museum of early Tombstone history. Although the bar is comparatively recent, the wallpaper, lithographs, and oil paintings were part of the original interior decoration. A large oil painting of nudes that hung in the saloon, pictures of variety artists, an organ from the Episcopal church, a square piano from Schiefrelin Hall, and dice and faro tables are among the articles exhibited. To add a touch of realism to the old theater, an unoccupied grave is in front of the establishment. - Arizona: A State Guide, Tombstone section, pg. 245, 247.
The Bird Cage now operates as a museum. It is open from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm. The museum offers different tours throughout the day.