Following the sale of the Odeon and a temporary closure, the historic music hall and saloon is coming back to life, with a “pre-grand opening” celebration happening July 11.
One thing the new Odeon team is dedicated to is history.
Owners Chris Pattison and Svetlana Grabelnikova (also a husband-and-wife team) along with general managers Spencer Davidson and Jennifer Reed have their feet firmly rooted in the region’s Comstock history.
For years, the team has been pivotal to the Sutro Tunnel Restoration Project, a grassroots effort made up of local history buffs, volunteers and donors. The Sutro Tunnel was created to drain the (often-boiling) water from the mines in Virginia City to support mining.
After the lode petered out, the tunnel fell into disrepair and, eventually, collapsed.
While ongoing restoration of the tunnel is still underway, Pattison and his team have turned their eyes to a new project: the revival of the Odeon Hall, one of the oldest original buildings still standing in Northern Nevada, located at 65 Pike Street in Historic Downtown Dayton.
According to Pattison, the commitment to historical accuracy is of utmost importance to them.
They’ve been meeting with the Comstock Historic District Commission and the State Historic Preservation Office, and have identified several areas that will be modified to match more closely what the Odeon was like at the turn of the century.
However, the vision for the Odeon isn’t simply about updating paint swatches: the team plans to continue the work turning both the building and the property into a central hub for the town, as it had been envisioned to be back in the 1860s.
From Odeon Saloon to Odeon Hall
While the Odeon may have been the Odeon Saloon for a time, historically, it was created as the Odeon Hall—with the emphasis being on community gatherings rather than only a variety of drinks (although the Odeon will still have many of those to offer their clientele).
The plan includes a family-friendly restaurant offering American food such as burgers, tacos, wings and will include the “best barbecue in Dayton,” according to Davidson — adding it has to be true since they’ll be the only barbecue joint in Dayton.
The restaurant will also include weekend brunch. Future plans include turning the side of the property that currently contains a bit of gravel, some weeds and a few, possibly historical brick pavers into a community era that will be shaded and welcome to all.
“I envision something similar to McFadden Plaza in Carson,” Pattison said. The famed creek where gold was first discovered in the area in 1850 runs alongside the property and, while it is currently dry, is the future home of a community gold panning activity.
Davidson plans to set up a sluicing activity center where families, history buffs and everyone in between can try their hands at gold panning, while nearby folks can relax in a beer garden or get competitive at a game of cornhole.
Upstairs, Pattison said they plan to lean into the hall’s entertainment history.
In addition to the Misfits Theater Group which will still perform in the space, the upstairs hall will offer a range of entertainment, including live music featuring both big-name artists and local talent, comedy, community meetings, and much more.
Pattison said that he hopes Historic Downtown Dayton will soon become as appreciated for its unique history and architectural charms as Virginia City.
In fact, it actually takes less time to get to the Odeon than it does to Virginia City from Carson — only a ten minute drive from the light at Deer Run and Highway 50. That’s almost half the average time it takes to get to Virginia City, thanks to its narrow, winding roads.
“This whole area is actually a National Historic Site,” Pattison said. “Historic Downtown Dayton and Virginia City are part of the Comstock Historic District, and this is one of the few original buildings still standing. It’s one of the oldest buildings in Northern Nevada — I think the St. Charles might be older.”
He said that their hope is that the Odeon becomes the first of many restorations in the area, bringing recognition to the area, which will in turn bring in more tourism.
“I’ve been going to Virginia City since I was a kid, but it’s so crowded,” he said. “And you come here, and think ‘wow, I didn’t know there was so much here.’ We want to share that excitement with others.”
He said that he believes in Dayton, and that it’s grown so much that it can now support a downtown core of its own, rather than making people go to Carson City or Reno for entertainment and dining.
“I feel there is so much potential here, and I could be crazy, and I’ll probably spend all my money — but I see it. When I grew up here, there wasn’t [a large population], but now there’s 16,000 people. People need places to go, to bring their families, to go and have a drink and listen to some music, or see a show. Dayton is ready for this.”
History of the Odeon
The name “Odeon” comes from the ancient Greek word meaning “a place for singing” or “a place for musical performances,” which is appropriate both for the Odeon’s past — as well as its imminent future.
In its heyday, the Odeon served as the very first community building in Dayton, built by the Odd Fellows in 1863 to the tune of $30,000 (today: $1.16 million).
It’s seen its fair share of history: built while Nevada was still just a territory, it hosted the likes of Mark Twain and Adolph Sutro (the creator of the Sutro tunnel).
However, like many Comstock-era buildings, it saw its fair share of tragedy. The Dayton Fire of July 1866 destroyed much of the town’s business district, including much of the Odeon.
However, it was sold and rebuilt, and the upstairs was re-envisioned as the Melodeon Hall, which became home to dances, minstrel shows, operas, and town meetings.
The Odeon persisted as the center of Dayton’s social life despite the town’s post-Comstock decline.
It also became famous nationwide as the central filming location for The Misfits, the last films of both Marilyn Monroe and Clark Gable before their respective deaths.
The Odeon, and Historic Downtown Dayton, was also used in Clint Eastwood’s Honkeytonk Man.
In 1984, the saloon was purchased by Max & Mia Kuerzi, who opened “Mia’s Swiss Restaurant and Saloon,” and over the 15+ years they owned it, poured roughly $300,000 into its restoration.
However, in the early 2000s the Kuerzis decided to sell, and a grass-roots effort to purchase the building failed.
The nonprofit dubbed “Do-Mor for Dayton” was made up of around 45 local businesspeople and residents and rallied together to try and come up with the $675,000 needed to purchase it. They hoped to turn it into an old-fashioned ice cream parlor run by high school students, with meeting space for county boards or organizations, and use the upper floor for plays, concerts, art classes and shows.
However they weren’t able to secure the funds, and the Odeon was sold. It briefly ran as “Chuck’s Old West Grill,” but was sold again soon after.
Luckily, the Misfits Theater Group has largely remained performing at the building since its creation as a nonprofit in 2004.
In 2023, the building was once again brought back online by George Lally, with a grand opening attended by hundreds of enthusiastic patrons. Allegedly, a potential buyer wanted to “gut it” for a bed and breakfast, so Lally had no choice but to step in to save the Odeon from that fate.
Following renovations, the building was finally reopened as its founders had intended: as a hub for dancing, gathering, watching plays, and connecting with the community.
In May 2025, it was announced that the Odeon would be closed temporarily, reopening under new ownership and management.
Now, the first concert under Pattison and his team, dubbed a “Pre-Grand Opening” western-themed dress party, will take place July 11, beginning at 4 p.m., with a pre-Grand Opening ribbon cutting at 4:30 p.m.
The festivities include live music, a chuck wagon food truck, games, line dancing, and much more!
You can follow the Odeon for more on Facebook or at https://www.odeonsaloon.net
