Thunder Bay Theatre

09/04/2026

We are still in awe of the beauty and movement in this mural by Megan Oldhues! It truly captures summer in Alpena backyards!

08/21/2026

So grateful to have Megan painting this stunning new mural on the side of our building!

08/14/2026

Painting starts next week on the side wall of our building! We can't wait to have this wall transformed into a beautiful piece of art.

Our second mural of the summer will come to life starting next week at Thunder Bay Theatre by artist Megan Oldhues! 🎨

As TBT was rebuilding after the 2020 fire, they had to encapsulate the brick wall that had been exposed— and made it a perfect canvas for a new piece of public art. As TBT wraps up its monumental renovation this fall, we are proud to play a role in this building’s renewal.

About the artist:
“A self-taught artist with a foundation in classical drawing, Megan’s style, impressionist painterly realism, is technically challenging and rare. As one of the few women in North America working in this painterly mural style, Megan is committed to pushing the boundaries of contemporary public art.

Her pieces keep an impressionist spirit that demonstrates the value of daily life, with elements of local scenery and scenes of nostalgia. Her motivation is always to create nostalgic and intimate scenes at a scale of grandeur that merges playfulness and wistfulness.”

We can’t wait to have Megan in Alpena to leave her mark and transform this giant canvas into a stunning new piece of public art.

07/31/2026

Mark your calendars for this year's Thunder Bay Theatre Fall Fundraiser!

Join us on Saturday, October 24th for an autumn evening of music, cocktails, and more. This will be our first gala in the theatre building since 2019!

More information on tickets and sponsorship opportunities is coming soon!

07/21/2026

July 21st is a solemn anniversary for TBT. Six years since the first fire. Six years since the stage at TBT has been dark.

This year's anniversary, however, is filled with so much hope and excitement. After six years of planning, fundraising, grant-writing, and being under renovation, we can see the light at the end of this tunnel. We are only a few months away from being done with this $2 million renovation-- and our Board of Directors will be sharing dates soon for some exciting re-opening events this fall and our plans for 2027.

Thank you to everyone who has supported us over the last six years with donations and encouragement. And a special thank you to Meridian Contracting & Restoration, Alpena Agency, Inc., Michigan State Historic Preservation Office, Michigan Arts and Culture Council, Michigan Economic Development Corporation, Community Foundation for Northeast Michigan, Besser Foundation, and First Federal Legacy Foundation for getting us this far.

The show WILL go on!

07/08/2026

Things are looking up! We are getting closer and closer to opening our doors again!
We are immensely grateful to our project funders, and we will be giving them each a social media shout-out in the coming weeks!

06/25/2026

Thank you for doing a story on the progress on our renovation project at TBT, The Alpena News! Renovation should be finishing up this summer, and we can't wait to share some re-opening updates soon!

Thunder Bay Theatre taking shape
https://www.thealpenanews.com/news/2026/06/thunder-bay-theatre-taking-shape/

06/17/2026

Our small, but mighty board met tonight to make a game-plan for the next 12 months! We are getting so close!

Fun side note, this was the first time we’ve had our board meeting in the theatre in 6 years, we were beyond thrilled to be back in the building getting work done.

05/29/2026

A new chapter is soon coming for our upstairs apartments.

Meridian Contracting has been busy upstairs, restoring their historic features while giving them some much needed updates and a fresh new look. We can’t wait to show you the finished product.

05/23/2026

We know you have been patiently waiting for our big announcement...we are excited to share that construction is almost completed, and we are entering the FINAL PUSH for fundraising!

We will be launching a crowd-granting campaign through the MEDC soon, so please stay tuned!

We are excited to welcome you back through our doors in the Fall for a grand reopening and return to live theatre in our newly updated building!

The Board of Directors deeply appreciates all of the support and love we have received since the first fire. Thank you.