Upon opening in 1906, Neepawa’s Roxy Theater was a one-stop shop for entertainment. Known as the Neepawa Opera House, patrons enjoyed Vaudeville spectacles, dramas, concerts, lectures and political rallies in the space. The Roxy remains as one of Manitoba’s oldest theaters.

Adaptability was key to survival. By the 1930s, public interest had shifted away from live performances to film. Proprietor Leon Asper hired the firm of Green, Blankstein and Russel to convert the venue into a movie theater in 1936. The interior was altered to accommodate a screen and projection equipment, while the façade received a modern facelift.

The Roxy’s new exterior was designed in the Art Deco style. Similar to the Art Moderne movement, it eschews aspects of traditional classical architecture as excessive ornamentation. Instead, it features strong vertical lines, a white stucco façade, and symmetrical elements such as the pilasters and parapet. The theater’s name, “ROXY”, is inset in boxy letters near the roofline.

The interior houses a high-ceiled auditorium with curved balconies, and Art Deco inspired ziggurat patterns along the walls. In the basement several dressing rooms remain as evidence of the building’s original use.

Community-owned since 1988, it operates as one of Manitoba’s few independent theaters.