The Lacey Street Theatre at 500 Second Avenue is a small but striking Art Deco building and one of the few architecturally notable structures in downtown Fairbanks. Its streamlined facade and marquee stand out on a block otherwise dominated by utilitarian commercial buildings.
The theatre was built in 1939 and served as Fairbanks' premier movie house through the mid-twentieth century. It later housed the Fairbanks Ice Museum, which displayed ice sculptures year-round in a freezer gallery. The building's use has shifted over the years, but the exterior remains a handsome reminder of the era when even remote Alaska towns invested in stylish public architecture. It is worth a look if you are walking through downtown.