HUNTSVILLE — While the pandemic may have put a halt in Fantasy Playhouse Children’s Theater & Academy’s plans for a new campus in Huntsville, the show must go on and the organization has raised the curtain on a new expansion plan.
And Fantasy Playhouse is stepping into Huntsville’s past for its own future.
The FPCTA has purchased the historic Merrimack Hall and it’s practically turnkey ready.
This 24,534 square-foot facility currently offers a fully-functioning, accessible 300-seat theatre and renovation opportunities to add classroom spaces including a dedicated preschool classroom suite, costumes shop/maker space, catering kitchen, ADA-compliant bathrooms, public lobby space, and office wing to support its year-round theatre arts education and mainstage programming.
As Huntsville grew, so did interest and demands in the Fantasy Playhouse Children’s Theater & Academy. The organization began raising funds in 2019 and chose a site on the corner of Holmes Avenue and Triana Boulevard.
However, in 2021, the plans to build the new campus were halted as pandemic-related issues caused building delays and construction costs to increase. By the end of 2023, the original project cost was estimated to have increased by 300% due to these issues, the organization said.
Despite these obstacles, FPCTA continued to provide theatre arts education and programming at its current location on Long Avenue and bring a theatre arts campus to Huntsville.
Merrimack Hall was built in 1920 and became the center of the Merrimack Mill village community. It served as a gymnasium for the neighborhood school, complete with a small theatre. Merrimack Hall also housed the company store, a cafe, barber shop, and other amenities crucial to life in the village.
It most recently served as the Merrimack Performing Arts Center, which includes a state-of-the-art theater and dance studio installed in 2007.
“To think that this building has been a home to the arts since it was built and that it’s going to continue to bring joy and happiness to children and adults and audiences and participants through Fantasy Playhouse, is just so thrilling to us,” said Debra Jenkins, founder and former board chairman of Merrimack. “Merrimack Hall was meant to be a centerpiece in this area and now Fantasy Playhouse is going to continue that.”
The move will allow FPCTA to increase its production programming dates, offer free accessible parking to intergenerational patrons, and expand performing arts training and STE(A)M technical theatre curriculum. This will engage students in workforce development and benefit their academic success, regardless of career path, Fantasy Playhouse officials said.
Additional family focused event programming and rental income opportunities will contribute to FPCTA’s sustainability and bring economic development to the Merrimack Mill Village Historic District.
Also, the city of Huntsville said it is committed to its pledge of $2 million in support of FPCTA’s capital expansion in West Huntsville.
“I wholeheartedly endorse Fantasy Playhouse Children’s Theater & Academy’s decision to acquire Merrimack Hall,” said Mayor Tommy Battle. “This significant purchase will broaden local access to the arts and effectively respond to the remarkable surge in demand for services.
“It will create a dedicated venue for family-oriented programming and theatre training, enhance accessibility, expand facilities, and preserve the cherished historic character of Merrimack Hall.”
FPCTA has begun renovations and hopes to relocate its operations in late spring 2025. The project is led by Principal Architect Greg Kamback at ArcSpace Studio and Brent Snyder, president of JS Building Co. Financing provided by SmartBank.
“We are grateful to the City of Huntsville, the Madison County Commission, the Alabama State Council on the Arts, and the scores of corporate and private funders that have come forward to pledge support of this project,” said Fantasy Playhouse CEO Karen Mockensturm. “We truly feel that our founders, legacy volunteer artists, and alumni would be excited to see this vision come to life at Merrimack Hall.
“We invite anyone who has been impacted by the magic of Fantasy Playhouse over the past six decades to join us in supporting this phase of our expansion.”
For information about FPCTA’s capital campaign, visit: https://www.fantasyplayhouse.
Don’t miss out! Subscribe to our email newsletter to have all our smart stories delivered to your inbox.