Wild Rose Country is a tourist hotspot and while big cities and national parks are on everyone’s hit list, there’s nothing quite like the peace and quiet, history and architecture you’ll find in a small town!
Located south of Calgary, Fort Macleod is an incredibly charming place to visit and the Empress Theatre? It’s iconic.
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Built during a particularly prosperous period, the Empress was heralded as a first-class theatre and over 100 years later, it’s beloved just the same.
“In the years before World War One, rail lines were being constructed, the ranching industry developed, and land opened for settlement. The theatre was important to the social life of any prairie town, and was often designed with ornate architecture and luxurious furnishings,” the Canadian Register of Historic Places writes.
“Although the exterior of the Empress was quite plain, to match the streetscape of Fort Macleod, it was heralded as a first-class theatre and eventually provided seating for four hundred with such amenities as plush chairs and Tiffany-style lamps.”
Of course, like everything else that time has cast its shadow on, the Empress has changed since then, but it’s kept its charm (and good looks).
Heck, the locals aren’t the only ones who see the Empress for the absolute beauty it is!
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Filmmakers from all over the world have featured it in their movies and TV shows.
Not sure where you’ve peeped it? Fans of The Last Of Us will recognize it from one of their earlier episodes and anyone who has seen Ghostbusters: Afterlife could not have missed its cameo!
Interested in checking it out yourself? Keep an eye out for its original features like a neon tulip on the ceiling and its theatre balcony – two of the more visible details.
For all their upcoming shows and to purchase tickets on their website now.
It really is something else, folks! Especially if you’re into architecture.
The Empress Theatre – Fort Mcleod, Alberta
Where: 235 24 Street Fort Macleod
