First opened in November of 1912 as the
New Palace Theatre, the theatre changed hands many times between then and 1937. In that year it was reopened as
The MayFair Theatre after substantial renovations. The theatre continued to operate under that name for the next 55 years, until 1992, when it was again renovated and reopened as the "Carriage House Theatre". Today it is both a
movie theatre and a
live stage theatre.
Though it has been renovated one more time since, the theatre still sports the art deco styling it was given at the time of its 1937 renovation, a time when art deco was all the rage, especially for theatres. Along with the art deco styling, it received an art deco neon sign which still shines nightly beckoning in passersby for an evening of either live or celluloid entertainment.
November of 1912 was an exciting time for those in town when Cardston’s progressive and wealthy Mark Spencer built a large modern show house where the Carriage House Theatre now stands. This theatre would be called the “New Palace Theatre” and would change hands many times before being bought by the Brewerton Brothers in 1927. It continued under that name until February of 1937, when the theatre reopened after a major renovation along with a name change from “The Palace Theatre” to “The MayFair Theatre”.
Sixty years later, on the 14th of February 1992, the latest incarnation of the Mayfair opened to the public. Two years effort and over a million dollars were expended to create the new facility, now known as the “Carriage House Theatre”. This old theatre building is now again usable and viable for both movies and live theatre productions.
The Carriage House Theatre Foundation has assisted in making it functional. Through countless hours of volunteer work and through thousands of dollars worth of donated services, materials, and equipment, coupled with government dollars, the non-profit foundation has accomplished a great deal. People from all over the world have now visited the theatre to attend live theatre productions and the quality of family and community life within our region has been enriched with the ‘good family’ entertainment that is offered by the Foundation. We are very proud of the state of the art facility which it has become to us and thank all those who have been a part of its success.
From the Carriage House Theatre