BILLINGS After nearly 18 months of repairs following a ceiling collapse, the historic Babcock Theatre reopened in downtown Billings over the weekend, welcoming moviegoers back to a landmark Art House Billings hopes will remain a community gathering place for generations.Watch the full story below: The little historic theater that could: Billings' historic Babcock Theatre reopens with an eye toward the next 120 yearsThe theater marked its return Friday with a screening of The Goonies, followed by a weekend lineup of classics from different decades, including The Wizard of Oz, Jurassic Park, and Psycho. The screenings drew enthusiastic crowds, with some showings selling out as longtime patrons and first-time visitors returned to the nearly 120-year-old venue.The energy in the room is, you can feel it for sure, said Matt Blakeslee, executive director of Art House Billings, the nonprofit that has operated the theater since 2018. For Dawn Cooley, opening weekend offered a chance to introduce her grandchildren, Braxtyn Hull and Kennedy Spieler, to the historic theater while revisiting a childhood memory of her own.The first time I saw The Wizard of Oz, it was at a movie theater. I was about seven years old, Cooley said, visiting the Babcock for the first time. And now Im taking my grandbabies to see it in a movie theater again.For others, the reopening meant returning to a place woven into their own family histories. Linda Staszcuk, who attended a Saturday afternoon screening of The Wizard of Oz, recalled seeing Pinocchio at the Babcock with her father when she was a little girl.Its been here as long as I can remember, she said. Im anxious to see how the Babcock has changed since I was a little girl. Maybe no one was more excited for opening weekend than Blakeslee himself.It's been a wild year and a half, but to think where we are today is pretty unreal, he said.Related: Billings' historic Babcock Theatre set to reopen in October after roof collapse The celebration followed a difficult year and a half for the theater. In May 2025, a section of the ceiling collapsed, forcing the Babcock to close while the building underwent repairs and renovations.For Blakeslee, the collapse brought uncertainty about the theaters future.The day the ceiling collapsed was a day of devastation and a lot of questions of how are we going to get through this, and what does the future look like? he said.The closure also created an opportunity to address improvements beyond the damaged ceiling. Art House Billings purchased the building from the city for $1 in May of this year, allowing the nonprofit to take a longer-term approach to preserving the historic venue.The work included installing a new ceiling and modern acoustic treatments, widening the balcony aisles, adding safety railings, and improving lighting. Crews also restored decorative architectural details and refinished the balconys original 1935 hardwood floors. The balcony received new seats with cup holders, while wider aisles reduced the number of seats to improve safety and accessibility within the seating area. The theater now holds about 700 people, split roughly evenly between the main floor and balcony.The goal, Blakeslee said, was to preserve the theaters historic character while making it safer and more comfortable for audiences."I think these chairs are way more comfortable. They have cup holders," Blakeslee said. "There's never been railings up here, which is crazy to think about." Blakeslee said the improvements addressed issues that had gone beyond the ceiling damage. The old acoustic material on the ceiling and walls had become dirty and no longer served its intended purpose, he said. Removing it allowed the team to install updated acoustic treatments designed to improve sound throughout the theater.Getting the Babcock reopened cost about $1.2 million, Blakeslee said. Insurance funds, city assistance, fundraising, and donations helped cover the work.But reopening is only part of the plan. Art House Billings estimates the full project will require about $5 million, including additional improvements over the next several years. The nonprofit has identified a range of investments needed to maintain and improve the building for the long term. For Blakeslee, the restoration represents more than repairing a historic structure.This is bigger than just a theater, he said. This is truly a celebration of the city and the community and the history of the city, the history of downtown.That connection is part of what makes the Babcock worth preserving, he said. The theater offers a place for people to experience film and other arts and cultural programming in a setting unique to Billings.Blakeslee, who grew up in Billings, said having the opportunity to help shape the theaters future remains surreal."As a Billings kid myself, pinch me. Like I can't believe that I have keys to the Babcock Theater in my pocket, he said. "At the end of the day, the Babcock Theater only exists in Billings, Montana. This is a one-of-one in the world." It's also not the first time the Babcock has held a reopening. A fire in 1935 destroyed the theater, leading to its rebuilding, and it experienced additional closures during the 1980s and 1990s amid business challenges. Art House Billings held another grand reopening in 2018 after taking over operations.Blakeslee said the nonprofit wants this reopening to mark a turning point.This has always been the little historic theater that could in downtown Billings, he said. Were celebrating the fact that were reopening the theater for the last time because we really believe in this place to stay open.To commemorate the occasion, Art House Billings offered T-shirts featuring a timeline of the theaters openings and closures on the back, modeled after tour dates on a concert shirt. The magic is now back on the big screen. For visitors such as Cooley, the theaters return also offers a chance to create new memories alongside old ones.It's just absolutely beautiful in here, she said.Im going to look up to make sure the roof is looking beautiful, and Im just excited to relive a good classic movie, added Staszcuk.As the lights come back on and audiences fill the seats again, Art House Billings hopes the restored theater will continue welcoming moviegoers for another century and beyond."I think that moment of cutting the ribbon and going, ' We did it, we're here, and then to watch things go so smoothly," Blakeslee said, "Definitely a sigh of relief and a sense of anticipation for what the future holds for sure. ...read more read less