Melchor Ocampo Theatre

🎭 De Cine, Divas y Tragedias 🎻

Just one block from the Morelia Cathedral, on the corner of Melchor Ocampo and Guillermo Prieto, stands a building that has lived more lives than a cat. It is the Ocampo Theater, a survivor who has changed his face (and his purpose) as many times as an actor changes his costume.

Although today we see it imposing with its viceregal facade, its walls hold secrets of demolished churches, executions, eras of cinema and international divas.

😲 The Name Drama (A Baptism of Fire)

It originally opened its doors on January 1, 1830, as the “Teatro Coliseo.” But its current name was born from a national tragedy. On the night of June 3, 1861, during the performance, the audience received news of the execution of Don Melchor Ocampo. Right there, amid the shock and mourning, the businessman proposed changing the name of the venue to honor the Michoacán hero.

💃 A Stage for Divas and… Popcorn?

Before becoming the stately venue we know today, this theater was the epicenter of glamour. During the Porfiriato, absolute legends like the soprano graced its stage. Ángela Peralta (the “Mexican Nightingale”), the Italian Eva Tetrazzini and the great actress Virginia Fábregas.

• The nostalgic detail: It wasn't always opera and theater. From the late 19th century until the Revolution, the Ocampo functioned as cinema! ! Fue uno de los primeros lugares donde los morelianos descubrieron la magia de la pantalla grande.

🏗️ The Building of a Thousand Faces

If you could travel back in time to 1935, you wouldn't recognize this building. At that time, they changed the facade to a different style Art Déco (very fashionable at the time). It wasn't until 1962 that they decided to restore its colonial appearance—imitating the Baroque style of the 18th century—so that it would blend in with the rest of the Historic Center. Furthermore, its foundations have a sacred history: when it was rebuilt in 1868, they used stones from the demolished Temple of the Third Order (Yes, the one that was where Plaza Valladolid is today). Literally, art emerged from the ruins of faith.

🎼 A Modern Heart (The 2000 Remodel)

Inside, the Ocampo is a machine of acoustic precision. In 2000, the architect Orso Núñez Ruiz Velasco He led a total transformation: he removed the old decorations and covered the walls with modernist design wood panels. This intervention not only modernized the aesthetics, but also perfected the sound so that today, with its 409 seats, it is the star venue of the Morelia International Film Festival and the Music Festival.

📍 Why visit it from Pátzcuaro?

Because it's the perfect cosmopolitan complement to your trip. While in Pátzcuaro we enjoy the Purépecha tradition, the Teatro Ocampo offers you "high culture" in a world-class venue. Tip: Check the schedule before heading to Morelia. Attending a concert here and returning to sleep in the tranquility of Pátzcuaro is the perfect balance.