Theater lovers and theatre lovers can all agree: Montana is a great state to take in a show. Enjoy a film, concert, or play at one of these historic locations!
The Hi-Line
Illuminating Main Street Rudyard is the Hi-Line Theatre’s nine-foot, four-color waterfall neon sign. This Art Deco fixture is authentic to the building, as is much of the design. The cinema house has served its community since 1949, with 216 seats in the main theater and six in the upstairs “cry room” (for babies, not weepy moviegoers). Notably, popcorn is prepared in an original 1949 Manley popcorn machine, which is not only genuine but tastes great too!
The Orpheum
When Conrad’s Orpheum Theatre was built in 1917, it was viewed as a modern marvel. A century has passed, and the historic movie theater is no longer considered “state of the art”—but that doesn’t stop it from hosting some of the best art in the state. From theatrical performances to concerts to films, the Orpheum has endeared itself to Pondera County and endured as a historic venue for contemporary arts.
The Roxy
Three historic cinemas in Montana share the name “Roxy Theatre,” each with its own charms. Choteau’s Roxy, built in 1946, is a family-operated, single screen theater with an eye-catching streamline marquee. In Missoula, the Roxy was opened in 1937, ravaged by fire in ’94, and reopened in 2002 after the building was purchased by the International Wildlife Film Festival. Montana’s oldest-running Roxy is in Forsyth, opened in 1930 and still serving its community—now with Dolby 3D, surround sound, and reclining seats!
The Rialto
Deer Lodge’s Rialto Theatre is the cultural center of Powell County. Built in 1921, the building retains its original ornate terra cotta façade, sidewalls, projection booth, and stage area with six original 1921 backdrops. Other architectural features and décor were tragically lost in a fire in 2006. It took many hands to reconstruct the Rialto as true to the original as possible. It reopened in 2012 and was awarded that year’s “Excellence in Historic