Teatro Colón, one of the world's major opera houses, is in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
The present theater opened on 25 May 1908 with a performance of Giuseppe Verdi's Aida. It replaced an earlier Teatro Colón that had stood near Plaza de Mayo until 1888. The new building, near Plaza Lavalle, took about two decades to complete.
Teatro Colón is celebrated for its horseshoe-shaped auditorium and renowned acoustics. It is also a major center for ballet and classical concerts, not only opera. Its resident artistic organizations include the Stable Orchestra, Stable Choir, Stable Ballet, and the Buenos Aires Philharmonic Orchestra.
A common mix-up is confusing Buenos Aires with Montevideo, another Río de la Plata capital with a notable opera tradition. Teatro Colón is firmly associated with Buenos Aires; its name means “Columbus Theatre,” referring to Christopher Columbus. The building was declared a National Historic Monument in 1991 and underwent a major restoration before reopening in 2010.