Theatre nerds and art deco lovers will be glad to know that there’s a fabulous old art deco theatre still in use in Cody, Wyoming.
Opened in 1937, the Cody Theatre was notable for a few reasons. Not only was it the city’s main source of entertainment back then, it is the first building in Wyoming to be air conditioned.
As of 2024, that same air conditioning unit was still in use.
The theatre is still in use too. They show movies and have live performances as well. It’s still very much a center for the community and I was delighted to see how nice it looks on the outside.
The theatre was built for a reported $50,000 which would be well over a million in 2025 money. The art deco design is subtle on the outside and those details continue on the inside as well, according to their website.
The best part of all is the marquee which has gotten some TLC this year. I found a story about efforts to save the marquee that you might want to check out here.
It would be easy to replace the aging AC unit or that fabulous old marquee. It would be easy to gut this theater and turn it into a restaurant or something random. I’m so happy and impressed that people have maintained and protected this place and its assets for all these years.
This theatre is a lovely asset for downtown Cody and a piece of Wyoming history. You know how I feel about these things.
Check out the Cody Theatre website to see what they have upcoming on the stage.
Your posts are stirring up many of my wonderful memories of time spent vacationing at Cody!
Excellent!!!
That is a cool old building, and I for one am very glad that it’s still being used as a movie theatre. But they really need to think about replacing that air conditioner! Imagine how much electricity is uses compared to today’s efficient machines. They could fully restore the building with the cash they’d save!
Toronto is relatively young city (not ‘old-west’ old like Wyoming) yet many of our theatres have been re-purposed… and its sad. Some of them are restaurants, many are condomimiums, but the worst of the bunch is the Allenby on Danforth Ave. They gutted it and turned it into an Esso gas station.
https://i0.wp.com/demaras.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/20250112_150144-1-1024×768.jpg?strip=info&w=2000&ssl=1
I struggle with the repurposing of certain kinds of buildings. There’s a great old theater in Indiana that’s now a pizza place and it broke my heart. However, I’d rather see that than have them torn down. Neither are great choices!
I hear you. Torn down or re-purposed into something so boring are not good choices. Toronto in particular has become so expensive that even a house on fire is still worth a million bucks. So, it’s no surprise that old theatres are ripe for re-purposing. If they keep the original facia, there’s always the possibility of the building to returning to its former glory. But maybe there’s more money in pizza slices that movie tickets.
Neither restaurants nor theaters are a great way to turn a profit. Here in the states, a lot of churches are being closed and sold for residential and commercial use. It’s strange and sad to see.
Here in Toronto, it started with the old, almost Victorian-era factories. They got turned into lofts like the Candy Factory. Gorgeous wood beams, high ceilings, perfect for young, hip, urbanites. I didn’t feel bad, like a sense of loss, because factories had long since moved out of the downtown core.
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But churches? Turning a place of worship into a pizza parlor or coffee shop? That’s bad. And how would a Muslim man and his wife feel about living in an old Catholic church. Pretty frickin’ weird, that’s how!
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As you said… strange and sad.
You just reminded me that I need to write about a church that was repurposed. Stay tuned. It will curl your toes.
Here’s the Allenby on Google Maps, if you want to see a better pic that isn’t just me showing off my car: https://shorturl.at/nrh8H
Cool! But the car is cool……
Thanks. I just wanted to show off for you!
I appreciate it!
May I share one more re-purposed building in my home town with you, Brandi?
This one on Dupont St was originally the Ford factory (first one in Canada) then it became the Planter’s Peanuts building for decades. But they left for the suburbs, and the building was vacant for a while. Now it is the head office for a high-end espresso machine manufacturer. The cool thing is they kept lots of the old Ford stuff, respecting the building’s heritage.
Check it, if you are so inclined: https://demaras.com/2024/01/23/historic-ford-factory-in-toronto-now-sells-coffee-machines/
This IS a nifty reuse of that space!! I like it!
I couldn’t help but laugh about how the theatre was the first building in Wyoming to be air conditioned!! A sign of its popularity back then. Glad it’s still around, even if the air conditioning hasn’t been upgraded! .
lol. I know. It’s their claim to fame now!