The Haskell Opera House in Derby Line, Vermont is a pretty cool spot – it literally straddles the border between the US and Canada! This historic building has been serving the community on both sides of the border ever since 1904.
Haskell Opera House & Library – Straddling Two Countries
If you visit the Haskell Free Library and Opera House in Derby Line, VT you may want to have your passport in order. A line of the floor marks the border of the United States on one side and Canada on the other. The library and opera house cornerstone was laid in 1901 and opened on June 7, 1904. The library’s reading room straddles the border between the two countries.
The opera house is part of the Haskell Free Library, which is split right down the middle – one half is in the US, the other half is in Canada. How wild is that? You can literally stand with one foot in each country when you visit. Pretty amazing stuff.
The building itself is a beauty, with its classic New England architecture and stunning stained glass windows. It's been hosting all kinds of performances, from plays and concerts to community events, for over a century. If you're ever in the Derby Line area, you gotta check out the Haskell Opera House – it's a one-of-a-kind spot right on the border between the US and Canada.
A Beatles International Reunion?
There is an unsubstantiated rumor that back in the early 70s the Beatles had planned to meet at the library. John Lennon wasn’t allowed into the USA at the time. Three of the Beatles could have sat on the US side of the line while John could have sat in the same room, just a few inches away, on the Canadian side. Whether or not the Beatles rumor is true, the library is would certainly be a convenient location for an international meeting of the most unusual kind.
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