Towne Theatre in Medicine Hat, Alberta

Opened in downtown Medicine Hat in 1958, the Towne Theatre was a popular venue to see the latest flicks for several decades. In 1979 the movie theatre was twinned, and in 1984 it became known as the Towne 3 when it was triplexed. Originally the Towne was noted for having balcony seating, but renovations in the seventies saw it replaced with the upstairs cinemas.

I have a lot of memories of coming here as a kid in the 1990s. The Towne actually had the biggest screen in the city until the Cineplex opened in 1998. From that point on things began to decline for the downtown movie theatres, the Towne and the Monarch. Most people opted for the newer and bigger cinema, while the Towne started falling further into disrepair. Both the Towne and Monarch theatres, owned by Landmark Cinemas at the time, closed their doors in 2007.

The Monarch Theatre has since been restored and was reopened in 2009, however the Towne has remained vacant. At this point there's no sign that the Towne Theatre will be restored or converted for other uses. That old neon sign is still pretty cool though.

Explore the interior of the Towne Theatre with these photo sets:

• Towne Theatre: Lobby
• Towne Theatre: Main Cinema
• Towne Theatre: Projection Rooms
• Towne Theatre: Upper Cinemas