"It's not just the theater it's the entire quarter block of downtown is all part of the same building," says Don Olsen of O2 Architects. With a basement and two floors the building spans about 68,000 square feet. But most remembered is the theater. "People tell us about getting their first kiss in the balcony here and there's just a lot of memories associated with the Babcock," says Olsen. And a team of prospective buyers plan to bring those memories back to life by giving the Babcock a complete makeover. "Everyone is just excited as heck about getting the Babcock Theater back."

Over the years the building has had three major renovations but there are still remnants from its original state. "There originally was an interior lobby that connected from Broadway out to Second Avenue and that was the original entrance lobby." There was also a bowling alley in the basement at one point. "It was one of those where you actually had to set the pins as opposed to have the machine set the pins but most of that's gone." But not due to poor structure, just age. "It's a very well built building in some need of tender loving care and some good investment and some modernization and it'll serve us well for another hundred years." Going from a run down theater, to a main attraction in Downtown Billings. "Hopefully in five years we'll have this thing turned around to where everyone will have forgotten how bad it was and they'll just talk about how great it is."

In the long run the Babcock Theater will be given to the city of Billings to be used as a community center. The rest of the building will remain under the ownership of the new buyers.