{"id":630,"featured":0,"modified":"2026-04-17 19:40:08","latitude":46.33144229999999907931851339526474475860595703125,"longitude":-113.29443620000000692016328684985637664794921875,"title":"McDonald Opera House","subtitle":"Philipsburg Historic Disctrict","fullsize":"https://mail.historicmt.org/files/fullsize/642c493f5b1c415b39200ddaf3f5339a.jpg","address":"140 South Sansome Street, Philipsburg, Montana","all_locations":[],"zoom":17,"creator":["Montana National Register Sign Program"],"description":"Prominent businessman Angus A. McDonald constructed this two-story masonry theater in 1891. A metal-covered stage loft rises above the roof as evidence of the structure’s historic function. Beneath the south end were dressing rooms for the traveling entertainers that played the generous stage. Elaborate backdrops were painted by Montana artist Edgar S. Paxson. The advent of moving pictures with sound brought some interior changes in the 1930s, but a magician’s trap door at center stage is still in place. Renamed the Granada Theatre in 1919, it is Montana’s oldest operating theater.","sponsor":null,"accessinfo":"Private","lede":"","website":"","related_resources":["<a href=\"https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/GetAsset/6d67f5f6-60b5-43ca-81d2-c1ca4972ee02\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Read about the Philipsburg Historic District</a>","<a href=\"https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/GetAsset/df9ccd24-a7c0-4ecc-9c6b-ea13416853f0/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">See photos of the Philipsburg Historic District</a>"],"factoids":[],"files":{"https://mail.historicmt.org/files/fullsize/642c493f5b1c415b39200ddaf3f5339a.jpg":{"id":1095,"mime-type":"image/jpeg","title":"McDonald Opera House","description":"McDonald Opera House, facing southeast on South Sansome Street, front view of the façade, digital photograph. | Montana Historical Society | June 2019 | Michael Connolly","thumbnail":"https://mail.historicmt.org/files/square_thumbnails/642c493f5b1c415b39200ddaf3f5339a.jpg"},"https://mail.historicmt.org/files/fullsize/751b8ae707588415fb21ce02b1e259c4.jpg":{"id":1096,"mime-type":"image/jpeg","title":"McDonald Opera House","description":"McDonald Opera House, facing northeast on South Sansome Street, front/side view of the building, digital photograph. | Montana Historical Society | June 2019 | Michael Connolly","thumbnail":"https://mail.historicmt.org/files/square_thumbnails/751b8ae707588415fb21ce02b1e259c4.jpg"},"https://mail.historicmt.org/files/fullsize/ab34a2e6780c78ebef7824fda3a3e7f5.jpg":{"id":3473,"mime-type":"image/jpeg","title":"McDonald Opera House","description":"McDonald Opera House. Facing northeast on South Sansome Street, front/side view of the building. B&amp;W. | Montana State Historic Preservation Office from the Photograph Archives at the Montana Historical Society | 1980-1984 | Photographer unidentified","thumbnail":"https://mail.historicmt.org/files/square_thumbnails/ab34a2e6780c78ebef7824fda3a3e7f5.jpg"}}}