Moose Jaw Cultural Centre

The Moose Jaw Cultural Centre started out as a movie theater called the Allen Theater. When architect James McTeague designed the original building in 1913, it was supposed to be called the Monarch Theater. Due to World War I, construction was delayed and the building was not completed until the Allen’s Theaters Ltd. chain took over the project. They named it the Allen Theater which opened on August 19, 1916. In 1922 it became the Capitol Theater. In 1929 the Capitol Theater was upgraded for sound movies.

It remained a single screen theater until 1982. In 1983 two more screens were added and seating was reduced from 910 to 652. The name was changed to the Capitol 3 Theater. As a movie theater the Capitol Theater closed in August of 2001. The theater is now used for concerts and live performances plus film festivals.

Recent comments (view all 10 comments)

ghamilton on September 25, 2005 at 5:40 pm

When I visited lovely Moose Jaw in the winter of 67-68,I remember two operating theaters.Obviously you got the one,which was the other?Both were near the Simpson-Sears downtown.There was also two theaters in the thrilling burg of Swift Current.One large,one small.There was also a theater at the airforce base near MJ.Canadian bases didn’t have great theaters like some US facilities.I remember one CF theater was a quonset hut.

PGlenat on September 25, 2005 at 8:20 pm

Beginning in the 1950’s newer recreation centers were constructed on most military bases in Canada. These combined gyms, snack bars, bowling alleys, game rooms, theatres, convenience stores, etc, etc in one large facility. Prior to that many base theatres were often in any leftover structure that could be adapted for the purpose, some dating from the onset of WWII. If you think the theatres were bad, you should have seen some of the leftover WWII barracks. Can you say firetrap?

kencmcintyre on October 8, 2008 at 8:31 pm

Painting by Yvette Moore for sale on this site, only 25K:
http://tinyurl.com/3kjpfj

kencmcintyre on October 8, 2008 at 8:32 pm

I guess she didn’t actually paint it. Her gallery is selling the painting.

kencmcintyre on July 7, 2009 at 10:23 pm

Here is a September 2007 photo:
http://tinyurl.com/n9foj7

kencmcintyre on April 22, 2010 at 9:41 pm

This is the Capitol marquee in 1987:
http://tinyurl.com/2aag6xk

ScreenClassic on October 1, 2013 at 6:28 am

The May family took over the Capitol from Famous Players in 1982 and later ran it as part of May Theatres (1984) Ltd. until the Capitol closed in 2001.

Trolleyguy on August 1, 2016 at 12:31 pm

Functions should also include: Film festivals.

50sSNIPES on August 28, 2023 at 12:27 pm

I’m sure its now back to one screen after its closure as a triplex in August 2001, as I looked it up recently.

m00se1111 on August 28, 2023 at 12:54 pm

The link for the venue needs an update

https://www.moosejawculture.ca/

(of course given it’s name I’m going to investigate)