Wilma Theater, Entertainment venue in downtown Missoula, United States
The Wilma Theater is an entertainment building in downtown Missoula, Montana, with a large main hall, banquet rooms, a restaurant, apartments, and offices spread across eight floors. The steel-framed structure was built in the Chicago School style and remains the tallest building in the city.
William Simons commissioned architect H. E. Kirkemo to design the building, which opened in 1921 as Missoula's first high-rise. Over the course of the 20th century it shifted between cinema, live performance, and mixed use before being added to the National Register of Historic Places.
The Wilma hosts independent films, comedy nights, and live concerts that draw local crowds and touring artists alike. This mix of programming makes it a gathering point for life in Missoula.
The theater sits in the middle of downtown Missoula and is easy to reach on foot from most central points. Arriving just before or after an event gives you the best chance to move through the interior and take in the building at your own pace.
The basement once held an indoor pool called Crystal Plunge, which closed after less than a decade because condensation made the space impossible to maintain. That part of the building is no longer accessible today, but the story remains part of the building's identity.
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