Once surrounded by bustling commercial activity, the Atlas Theatre in Cheyenne, Wyoming was originally built as a confectionery in 1887. With room for offices upstairs, the little shop was turned into a 404 seat theatre in 1907 by Cheyenne architect William Dubois. The 3-story brick building with its plaster, tile, and wood facade closed the first time in 1929.
It was converted to a movie theater called the strand a few months later but struggled to keep its doors open and after several attempts to thrive in the small community shuttered its doors for a final time in the mid 1950s. With a brief run as a bar and live music venue as the Pink Pony, which was only open for two years, the cursed location became a neglected symbol of a city passed its prime.
Badly in need of restoration and care, the theatre was once again saved from a crumbling fate. The Cheyenne Little Theatre Players bought the building and to protect it from being torn down by any future owners, lobbied to have it recognized as a national historic place. They have operated the building as a home for vaudeville theater, melodrama, stand-up comedy, live music, and private events ever since.
Atlas Theatre Facts
- The Atlas is located at 211 W Lincolnway, Cheyenne, WY 82001. This is sometimes listed ad 211 W Sixteenth Street but we’re placing trust in their website.
- There are supposedly two ghosts that haunt the old building but little is known about them.
- The theatre was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.
- When the Atlas was turned into a theatre it was to offer low cost amusement, and to compete with the wildly successful Capitol Avenue Theatre not far away.
- In 1971, the Cheyenne Little Theatre Players company purchased the Atlas, and started much needed renovations.
- The theatre seats about 250 and may be rented for private events.
