Everything Old is New Again: Yellowstone’s historic Westgate Theatre gets a major facelift
WEST YELLOWSTONE, Montana (KIFI) — Good family entertainment is officially back for the summer! After months of intensive construction, the legendary Westgate Theatre is finally ready to reopen its doors, proving that everything old can indeed be new again.
Located at 29 Madison Avenue in West Yellowstone, Montana, the theater is scheduled for its grand reopening on June 4th.
For owner Kyle Benson, his brothers, and their families, the project is more than just a business venture—it’s the continuation of a longstanding family tradition.
A Major Facelift for a 100-Year-Old Icon
The 100-year-old building has been a staple of family entertainment since 1961, when Kyle's grandfather, Lynn Benson, alongside partners from Ricks College and family, transformed a rundown West Yellowstone drugstore into a small theater.
Over the decades, it grew to become a landmark destination, treasured not only by residents but also by the more than 12,000 tourists who pass through West Yellowstone annually.
Today, the entire family is getting in on the act to bring it back to life. Kyle says it's been a major renovation.
"We've gutted it down to bare studs. It's going to get a hefty facelift," said Kyle.
Built on a Shoestring Budget
While show business might seem glamorous from the outside, the Benson family knows theater’s survival was hard-earned.
"The first ten years were pretty rough," Benson recalled. "In fact, my grandma would ask my grandfather regularly, 'Is this going to be our last year? Is this going to continue on?' And his answer was always, 'Let's try it one more time.'"
Kyle says the theater was built on a "shoestring budget," with Lynn and his partners pitching in around "600 bucks apiece."
"Granted, it was in the 60s. So I mean, that was some real money back then," explains Kyle.
Unearthing a Time Capsule
Renovating the century-old building has felt like opening a time capsule for the Benson family. As they took the building down to the studs, they uncovered remnants of the theater's previous life. One piece that stood out was a handwritten note dated about 1958.
"We think it's from the pharmacy that was in here before," said Kyle. "When they moved in, the pharmacy had walked out the door...they walked away, they left a bunch of drugs and bottles and all sorts of stuff. So that was one of the first things they [Lynn and company] had to do was to clean out the remnants from the pharmacy."
With its rich history preserved and a completely modernized interior, Kyle says tickets are now on sale for this new season in West Yellowstone. For more information, click HERE.
