HUMBLE BEGINNINGS
When the City of Lone Tree incorporated in 1995, its arts “venues” were humble but full of possibility—a park lawn, a borrowed clubhouse, a temporary stage. What mattered most was the community’s appetite for shared experiences. That spirit came fully to life in 2000 with the launch of the free Summer Concert Series at Sweetwater Park, featuring the Colorado Symphony and a cannon-filled finale of the 1812 Overture. From the beginning, the message was clear: the arts in Lone Tree would be accessible, high-quality, and rooted in community.
As the City grew, so did its cultural ambitions. By the mid-2000s, Lone Tree had established an arts commission to coordinate public art, support local groups, and build a consistent calendar of theater, music, and family programming. These early efforts demonstrated a growing demand, not just for more arts offerings, but for a dedicated space designed to support them.
As part of the City’s vision to create a destination-oriented community of vibrancy, the vision for an arts center became reality in 2008, when Lone Tree residents, together with a mix of business, government, and cultural leaders, approved the construction of a $23 million arts venue. Voters passed a temporary 0.1875 percent sales tax increase, which funded $18.5 million or about 80 percent of the center’s construction costs. Six acres of land in the RidgeGate area, valued at $3 million at the time, was donated by Coventry Development, turning a community dream into a concrete plan. At the time, the Lone Tree Arts Center was the only major voter-supported arts initiative, and the metro area’s first significantly publicly financed arts center since 2002.
OPENING ACT
In August 2011, Lone Tree’s state-of-the-art performing arts center opened its doors to the community and the Denver south region, launching its first season in a 500-seat Main Stage theater designed with exceptional acoustics and equipped with state-of-the-art lighting and sound, a 200-seat Event Hall, and 350-seat outdoor amphitheater.
Owned and operated by the City, the Arts Center was designed around a distinctive hybrid model: producing professional theatrical work and presenting touring artists from around the world. This “both/and” approach has become a defining strength, allowing Lone Tree to offer diverse, high-caliber programming under one roof. From the earliest months, the venue also anchored educational and community-based initiatives, including student matinees and family-centered programming.
A STANDING OVATION
What began on picnic blankets has become a regional destination—proof that when a community invests in the arts, the returns are lasting, meaningful, and shared by all. Since the Art Center’s opening, the impact has been significant. In its first decade alone, the Arts Center presented more than 1,100 performances, welcomed over 267,000 ticketed patrons, and hosted nearly half a million visitors overall.
2025 was a landmark year for the Lone Tree Arts Center, a true testament to its place at the heart of the community. The center welcomed record-breaking crowds, with ticket sales hitting close to $1.2 million, and hosted 403 events, more than any previous year. Philanthropic support from the community soared as well, with individual donors contributing a record $250,000 and season subscriptions climbing to 1,697. This year was also the first year the Arts Center participated in Colorado Gives Day through the Lone Tree Arts Center Fund, the organization’s nonprofit arm. Through this statewide wave of generosity, the community donated over $14,000 to amplify programs that inspire, connect, and enrich lives through the arts.
Beyond its own programming, the Arts Center has emerged as a sought-after rental venue for community partners, including the Lone Tree Symphony Orchestra and local dance studios that present year-end recitals on the main stage. Throughout the year, the event hall hosts a steady calendar of business meetings, conferences, and festive holiday gatherings. Meanwhile, the light-filled lobby serves as a rotating gallery, featuring four exhibitions annually that highlight the work of Colorado-based artists.
But these numbers tell only part of the story. The Arts Center has become a gathering place where neighbors and community members connect, creativity thrives, and the cultural life of Lone Tree comes alive. From first-time attendees discovering the magic of live performances to loyal patrons deepening their support, the center’s success in 2025 reflects not just a year of milestones, but a vibrant community coming together around the arts.
A REGIONAL ARTS POWERHOUSE
Today, the Lone Tree Arts Center stands as an awardwinning civic asset and a point of pride for the community. Guided by a clear mission, the center delivers exceptional arts experiences, welcomes diverse audiences, and thoughtfully stewards public resources. This state-of-the-art, nationally recognized venue produces and presents professional performances while creating meaningful arts opportunities for children, seniors, and underserved communities alike. From award-winning theatrical productions and worldrenowned artists to inclusive programs designed for all ages and abilities, the Lone Tree Arts Center offers something for everyone—bringing people together through the power of the arts.
Main Stage Season
The Lone Tree Arts Center produces its own professional theatrical shows each year, in addition to presenting national and international artists in the genres of popular music, jazz, dance, cirque, and more.
Student Matinees
Through field trip visits, children have access to professional artists and performances that engage imaginations and enrich lives. The student matinee program allows for low-cost admission to top performances that integrate into existing curricula, including STEM, history, humanities, literacy, and more.
Seedlings
A family program designed to introduce children from preschool to kindergarten to arts, culture, and science, the Seedlings program features partnerships with local organizations such as the Colorado Ballet, Museo de las Americas, and the Butterfly Pavilion to engage children in interactive activities designed to enrich young minds.
Passport to Culture
Designed for elementary and middle school-aged children and families to experience arts and culture outside the classroom and inside a world of imagination, these entertaining performances foster a lifelong love of performing arts across a variety of art forms. Sensory Inclusive Children and adults with autism or developmental disabilities are offered Sensory-inclusive (SI) performances to create a welcoming and supportive environment. Shows are modified to ensure there are no startling noises or visually over-stimulating components, including the lowering of sound levels and lights. Audience members are free to come and go if need be (there is always a “quiet room” available) and are asked to wave hands rather than clapping.
Arts in the Afternoon
A monthly hour-long program that features some of the finest classical, jazz, opera, and other artists from the Denver metro area, developed primarily for seniors. Many shows include an educational component, with the artists sharing historical and artistic insights about their program. Following most performances, patrons enjoy complimentary refreshments and conversation with artists and each other.
SPARK! Alliance
A free program offered in conjunction with the Alzheimer’s Association for people experiencing mild memory loss, early-stage Alzheimer’s, or a related dementia, and their family, friends, and guests. These programs feature interactive and engaging cultural experiences in a welcoming environment. Specially trained facilitators and/or artists engage participants in lively discussions and hands-on, multi-sensory activities using such genres as art, music, and movement. Following all sessions, attendees enjoy complimentary refreshments and conversation with the facilitators and each other.
VISIT THE LONE TREE ARTS CENTER
See for yourself everything we have to offer!
10075 Commons Street, Lone Tree
720-509-1000
HOST YOUR NEXT EVENT AT THE LONE TREE ARTS CENTER
From business meetings to unforgettable social gatherings, the Lone Tree Arts Center is a premier event destination. Welcoming rental clients from across the Denver Metro area and beyond, the Arts Center offers a distinctive setting for events of every kind.
Learn more at lonetreeartscenter.org/rentals