Mary Rippon Outdoor Theatre

The Mary Rippon Outdoor Theatre is one of CU Boulder’s most treasured cultural landmarks and a beloved gathering place for the arts. Built to honor Mary Rippon, CU’s first female professor and one of the first women to attain faculty status at an American university, the theater commemorates her lasting contributions to higher education and the humanities. Rippon began teaching at the university during its second semester in 1878, helping shape the institution in its earliest years. 

The outdoor theater has hosted generations of performances beneath the Colorado sky and has become deeply woven into the cultural life of the campus. Its most enduring legacy is its connection to the Colorado Shakespeare Festival, which was established in 1958 and grew into one of the nation’s longest-running Shakespeare festivals. The venue’s natural setting and historic character have made it a distinctive home for storytelling, performance and community engagement for decades. 

Today, the Mary Rippon Outdoor Theatre remains a centerpiece of arts and culture at CU Boulder. Following a major renovation completed in 2026, the theater reopened with improvements focused on accessibility, upgraded gathering spaces and the restoration of historic elements. As home to the Colorado Shakespeare Festival and numerous performances each year, the theater continues to bring together students, artists and audiences while honoring the legacy of Mary Rippon and the university’s longstanding commitment to the arts and humanities.