Story of City Hall

Calistoga’s current City Hall stands on the site of the former Bedlam Opera House, named after a niece of city founder Sam Brannan. After the opera house burned down, the City Council voted in 1901 to build the present structure, completed in 1903. The building originally housed the Fire Department, Police Department, Library, City Court, and even the town band.

Over the decades, City Hall has undergone multiple remodels, expansions, and reconfigurations to meet changing needs. It has served as home to the Justice Court, Sheriff’s Office, Welfare Department, and Veterans Services. The Police and Fire Departments both operated from the building at various times, and portions of the site have been rebuilt or repurposed after fires, structural concerns, and growth in city services.

By the late 1980s, plans for a combined City Hall and Police Department were explored, but costs kept the idea from moving forward. The City did, however, develop the former lumber yard property into the Police Department’s current home, completed in 1992. Today, City Hall remains a central piece of Calistoga’s civic history, representing more than a century of adaptation and service to the community.