Alberta Bair Theater

[1] It is the only performing arts center between Spokane, Washington and Denver, Colorado that is fully equipped for presenting shows by major professional touring companies and artists.

The originally Art Deco-inspired theater was designed by Robert Reamer in the 1920s and built during the Great Depression, opening in 1931 as "the last of the Fox Corporation’s vaudeville and motion picture houses," even with budget cuts.

The Billings Gazette described the original decor: "Hand-painted wall motifs of hunters armed with arrows pursuing gazelles were accented by silver clouds adorning the ceilings.

Throughout the 1930s and 1940s, the theater hosted performers including national and international stars like Boris Karloff, the actor behind Frankenstein's monster, musicians such as singers Marian Anderson, Gladys Swarthout, Ray Charles, and Judy Collins, and instrumentalists Gregor Piatigorsky, Dizzy Gillespie, and George Winston.

[4] After its reopening, notable performers included Bobby McFerrin, Martha Graham, Juilliard String Quartet, Joan Baez, The Temptations, and various Broadway musicals.

Productions range from those of small local organizations to Broadway theatre tours,[2] while a volunteer program supports events at the theater with duties including ushering, clerical work, and specialized projects.