Taking Center Stage

An important part of life in the Soo is the arts community. There's a wide variety of cultural experiences to be found at Lake Superior State University, area churches and even the downtown theater. A commitment to providing live theater and community cultural performances led members of the Soo Theatre Project to revitalize the downtown Soo Theatre and ready it for new productions. The theater had sat dormant from 1998 to 2004, when the curtain rose again.

“The people who got involved here are interested in bringing the theater back to life,” said Taylor Brugman, board member and technical director. “To have a theater like this is part of the revitalization of the downtown as well.”

The $4 million renovation to the movie house at 534 Ashmun Street is ongoing, as the group raises funds.

Throughout the summer, live concerts are held in Locks Park, with each performance free to the community.

Lake Superior State University is home to a cultural crown jewel the $15.3 million, 71,201-square-foot arts center, equipped with an auditorium to seat 674, gallery space, dressing rooms, offices and classroom space, as well as hi-tech sound and lighting.

Historic Architecture

Points of historical interest are found throughout the city, offering an authentic glimpse back to life in the 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries.

The Historic Homes project is a rehabilitation effort of four structures that represent more than 150 years of historical development. The buildings involved are the John Johnston House, Henry Rowe Schoolcraft House, Bishop Frederic Baraga House and the Kemp Coal Dock Office Building.

Local churches provide breathtaking historical opportunities as well. St. Mary’s Cathedral was built in 1881 and is the oldest church still in use here. Other churches, including the Episcopal, Presbyterian and Methodist, were also constructed in the late 19th century and their architectural
features have been remarkably maintained.

The Chippewa County Courthouse is another historical marvel. The structure, built in 1877, remains one of the oldest continuously operating courthouses in the state. Other sites and monuments around the city are historically significant for the use of local sandstone in their construction, particularly from the time when the Sault Ste. Marie canals were excavated.