Built in 1928 as both a Vaudeville and movie pictures theatre, the Tall Chief is a beautiful reminder of the not-so-distant past, when weekend plans were determined by what was on the marquee. While unassuming on the outside, the Tall Chief has a grand interior and seats 800 (half the population of the community).
Alex Tall Chief, father of world class ballerinas Maria and Marjorie Tallchief, built the theatre. At one point the Fairfax Police station was housed in a tiny office in the front. This was during the time of the story of Killers of the Flower Moon. A shoot out in front of the building left one of the murderers dead in the street while children were watching a Western inside! It last saw service as a theatre in 1960.
In 2017, a tornado ripped through Fairfax and did considerable damage to the roof. Help is needed to secure the interior from further deterioration.