Coming Soon to Big River Theatre

The Big River Theatre: Our History

Built in the same era as the Eiffel Tower, the space known today as Alma’s Big River Theatre is not yet world famous, but it does stand tall as a community icon with a rich local history. After a fire destroyed the original 1889 structure, Mercantile owner, Lutzi Tscharner bought the vacant land and hired a crew to construct a new, more fire proof building in 1895. Known as “The Tscharner Building,” the red brick building consisted of three floors. The first boasted 12-foot-tall ceilings, large cellars below, and a roomy storeroom — ideal for its use as a Mercantile. Nine rooms on the second floor housed the Tscharner family while a hall and even more bedrooms occupied the third. Perfect for a game of hide-and-seek!  READ MORE >