{"id":258290,"date":"2026-04-20T19:34:16","date_gmt":"2026-04-20T19:34:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/258290\/"},"modified":"2026-04-20T19:34:16","modified_gmt":"2026-04-20T19:34:16","slug":"historic-downtown-el-paso-building-has-lived-many-lives","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/258290\/","title":{"rendered":"Historic Downtown El Paso Building Has Lived Many Lives"},"content":{"rendered":"

A historic building that stands at 209 S. El Paso street in downtown El Paso has lived many lives.<\/p>\n

At first glance, it\u2019s just another downtown building- but if you\u2019ve ever been to a show there, you know it\u2019s anything but ordinary. For a lot of El Pasoans, this spot is tied to memories of packed crowds, loud music, and nights that felt unforgettable.<\/p>\n

Most of us knew it as Tricky Falls, or even earlier as X\u2019cape! I still remember seeing Papa Roach there back in 2002, shoulder to shoulder with a crowd that felt just as electric as the music.<\/p>\n

But that\u2019s only one chapter of its story.<\/p>\n

Historic Downtown El Paso Theater Once Stole the Spotlight<\/p>\n

Long before it became a music venue, the building opened in 1914 as the Alhambra Theater<\/a>.<\/p>\n

READ MORE: No Rooms Left in El Paso As BTS Fans Take Over\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

Designed by famed El Paso architect Henry Trost, it cost $150,000 to build and featured a stunning Spanish Moorish design. Inside, the lobby was dressed in rich red and gold, creating an atmosphere that felt more like an event than a simple night at the movies.<\/p>\n

This wasn\u2019t your average theater either. It included side shops, a second-floor confectionery, and even a nursery so parents could enjoy a film while their babies were cared for nearby.<\/p>\n

In 1918, the Alhambra added one of the largest pipe organs in the Southwest, used to accompany silent films. At times, even live orchestras performed, turning movie screenings into full productions.<\/p>\n

By 1930, the arrival of \u201ctalkies\u201d ended that era, and the building began its next evolution.<\/p>\n

From X\u2019cape to Tricky Falls A New Generation Took Over<\/p>\n

Fast forward decades later, the same space became a cornerstone of El Paso\u2019s live music scene.<\/p>\n

READ MORE: ‘Euphoria’ Premiere Includes Surprise El Paso Scene<\/a><\/p>\n

From its X\u2019cape days to its run as Tricky Falls, the venue hosted everything from rising artists to major acts, drawing crowds from across the Borderland. With a capacity of around 1,500, it became a place where memories were made, and where many fans experienced their favorite bands up close.<\/p>\n

Downtown El Paso Landmark Finds New Life as Church<\/p>\n

In 2018, the music stopped when Tricky Falls closed its doors.<\/p>\n

Today, the building has taken on a new role as a downtown campus for Abundant Living Faith Center, bringing in a different kind of crowd while preserving the structure\u2019s historic character.<\/p>\n

From silent films and live orchestras, to packed concert crowds- to Sunday services, this downtown El Paso building has continuously evolved with the city around it. It truly has seen it all!<\/p>\n

Movie Theaters That Are Permanently Closed Down in El Paso<\/p>\n

While these places are not open anymore, the buildings are still left standing so we can remember the history of these historic theaters in El Paso.<\/p>\n

Gallery Credit: Daniel Paulus<\/p>\n

Haunted El Paso Neighborhoods<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A historic building that stands at 209 S. El Paso street in downtown El Paso has lived many…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":258291,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[138,140,139,143,278],"class_list":["post-258290","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-el-paso","tag-el-paso","tag-el-paso-headlines","tag-el-paso-news","tag-local-el-paso","tag-music"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/258290","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=258290"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/258290\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/258291"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=258290"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=258290"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=258290"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}