[3] Designed by noted Edmonton architect William Blakey and built in 1940, the Garneau is the only remaining theatre of the early modernist style and period in Alberta.

[6] The ticket booth was encased in a bubble of vitrolite, the lobby was tiled in red, and the foyer featured the furniture specially commissioned for the George VI's stay at the Hotel Macdonald in 1939.

[7] Ushers in custom tailored red eaton jackets, deep blue trousers, and pill-box hats operated a free coat check and showed guests to their seats [7] The projection booth was equipped with dual Holmes 35mm arc lamp projectors which produced an extremely bright picture for the day.

The theatre under Famous Players had gained a reputation for showing stodgy, uninteresting films and was being superseded by larger multiplexes.

[10] The theatre came under pressure in 1992 when Toronto property developer Greg Sandwell applied to have the site rezoned for food and liquor service.

Under this plan, the theatre would have become the Garneau Bar and Playhouse featuring dancing, indoor basketball, volleyball, and billiards.

[12] The Garneau remained open and continued to operate as a discount theatre until 1996 when it was renovated and switched to first-run films.

[2] Metro officially reopened the Garneau on September 16, 2011[2] promising new films daily and guest curated festivals.

[1] The lobby was modern, featuring curved walls, understated gumwood doors, and simple semi-circular light fixtures.

[1] The theatre itself had a bold colour scheme, with recessed neon lighting, ultramarine walls, blue chairs, red love seats, and gold highlights around the proscenium.