BILLINGS — The historic Babcock Theatre in Billings is reopening Oct. 16 after a partial roof collapse forced months of renovations.
The future of the downtown staple was uncertain after part of the roof collapsed in early summer of 2025. But after the city sold the building to Arthouse for one dollar, crews have been working to bring the landmark back to life.
Watch the full story of the Babcock Theatre:
Arthouse Executive Director Matt Blakeslee said the upgrades are starting to shine through beneath the construction dust.
"It's going to feel brighter, and it's going to feel cleaner than it ever has been before," Blakeslee said Wednesday.
Work crews replaced the entire ceiling and addressed other infrastructure needs throughout the building.
Among the improvements, crews widened aisles in the balcony and added handrails.
"We've been able to widen some of the aisles in the balcony so that it feels a little more safer and secure with some handrails," Blakeslee said.
The wider aisles mean slightly fewer seats. The theater previously held about 720 seats and will reopen with approximately 700.
The renovations also include modern upgrades to expand what the Babcock offers.
"There's certain elements as far as from a programming standpoint, adding a tech booth so we can do more concerts," Blakeslee said.
The price tag for the more-than-century-old building's transformation is significant.
"To do everything that we've done up to this point and to do everything that the building needs to make sure that nothing else falls apart or we don't have to close again, we're looking at a total bill of a little over 5 million dollars," Blakeslee said.
For longtime patron Tammy Mehlhaff, the reopening is nearly a dream come true. She has been going to the Babcock since the 1990s.
"When I first realized that they were going to start rebuilding the Babcock, I cannot tell you how happy I was," Mehlhaff said.
She said the theater's history is a big part of its appeal.
"I love history, I love old architecture, I love just the atmosphere, the feeling of being in a historical building," Mehlhaff said.
Neighboring businesses say the reopening will bring more energy to downtown Billings. Janine Knust, who works at SOMETHINGchic, said they're excited for it to be open.
"We just love having them on our block and it just helps the vitality of downtown to just be more alive and more open," Knust said.
She added the theatre is the perfect date-night destination.
"Go there for a movie and a drink and candy. And then typically we just, we don't even step outside. We just go through the hallway to the back way to Doc Harper's and have a martini," Knust said.
Despite the expensive renovation, ticket prices are not going up.
"Our tickets continue to remain dirt cheap at $9 a ticket," Blakeslee said.
The grand opening is scheduled for Oct. 16. The theater has curated a special film lineup to mark the occasion.
"We've selected some decades from the past 120 years and some films from each one of those decades to be able to celebrate the history of this place and the history of cinema," Blakeslee said.
Related:
Ceiling collapses at Babcock Theatre; high price tag expected for repair
Billings City Council hears about repairs needed on Babcock Theatre
