The Tampa Theatre is a historic

U.S. The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

theater Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actor, actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The p ...

and city landmark in

Downtown ''Downtown'' is a term primarily used in North America by English speakers to refer to a city's sometimes commercial, cultural and often the historical, political and geographic heart. It is often synonymous with its central business distric ...

Tampa, Florida Tampa () is a city on the Gulf Coast of the United States, Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The city's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and ...

. Designed as an atmospheric theatre style

movie palace A movie palace (or picture palace in the United Kingdom) is any of the large, elaborately decorated movie theaters built between the 1910s and the 1940s. The late 1920s saw the peak of the movie palace, with hundreds opening every year between 192 ...

by architect

John Eberson John Adolph Emil Eberson (January 2, 1875 – March 5, 1954) was an Austrian-American architect best known for the development and promotion of movie palace designs in the atmospheric theatre style. He designed over 500 theatres in his lifetime, ea ...

, it opened on October 15, 1926. The theatre features a wide range of independent, foreign, and documentary films. It is Tampa's only non-profit movie palace, and operating costs are supported by its members, donors and corporate sponsors, as well as by ticket and concessions sales. It has often been used as a backdrop for movies, music videos and local programming.

History

Tampa Theatre was the first commercial building in Tampa to offer

air conditioning Air conditioning, often abbreviated as A/C or AC, is the process of removing heat from an enclosed space to achieve a more comfortable interior environment (sometimes referred to as 'comfort cooling') and in some cases also strictly controlling ...

. The theatre's interior resembles romantic Mediterranean courtyard replete with old world statuary, flowers, and gargoyles. On the ceiling is an artificial nighttime sky with stars on it. By the 1960s and 70s, many American movie palaces were demolished because the land beneath them became more valuable than the theatre operation. In 1973, the theatre faced the same fate. But the citizens rallied and committees were formed. City leaders became involved, and soon a deal was reached to have the City rescue the Tampa Theatre by assuming its leases. The Arts Council of Hillsborough County agreed to program and manage the Tampa Theatre with films, concerts and special events. By the time the Theatre reopened in early 1978, the Tampa Theatre had become something of a national model on how to save an endangered theater. Tampa architectural photos 226

In 1992, restorations efforts were led by the Tampa Theatre Foundation after the building caught fire in 1991. The theatre presents and hosts over 600 events a year including a full schedule of first run and classic films, concerts, special events, corporate events, tours and educational programs. Since its rescue in 1978, the theatre has welcomed over five million guests including over one million school children for school field trips and summer camps in the context of one of Tampa's largest historic preservation projects. It was named to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

in 1978, is a Tampa City Landmark, and is a member of the League of Historic American Theatres. The theatre has undergone many restoration projects as well as equipment upgrades. The most recent restoration project was the replacement of the marquee which includes the vertical blade sign and the canopy. The completion was marked by the Marquee Lighting Ceremony which took place on January 16, 2004. The theatre operates The Mighty Wurlitzer Theatre Organ and the instrument is played before nightly films. The organ is played and maintained by a team of volunteer organists from the Central Florida Theatre Organ Society. In the spring of 2013, during its 86th year of existence, efforts began to convert to digital picture and sound (with the exception of productions that are only available in the movie reel format) and screened a free showing of ''Samsara'' to celebrate the transition. The switch to digital occurred at a cost of $150,000. In late 2017, the Theatre closed for six weeks to complete the first phase of its long term restoration plan, a $6 million renovation that updated the electrical systems, re-seated the auditorium with seats designed to match the original look from 1926, added a new and expanded concessions stand and bar, installed a new emergency power system, and protected the building from storms by installing new storm rated windows and doors on the Florida Avenue side of the building. The seating capacity was reduced from 1,446 to 1,238 to improve comfort and leg room. New carpet, designed to match the original 1926 design, was installed, as well as a new grand drape and valance for the proscenium arch also designed to match the original. The lobby paint and plaster was restored to its original palette by crews from EverGreene Studios, in New York, including the replication of four tapestries to replace the faded and worn tapestries from 1926. The original tapestries were transferred to the Tampa Bay History Center for preservation.

In popular culture

The glam metal band

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filmed the music video for the song "Stranger Than Paradise" at the theater.

Noted performers

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''(3 times)'' * Blondie *

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* Love and Rockets *

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''(3 times)'' * New Order *

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* Sister Hazel *

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Gallery

File:TampaTheatre02.jpg File:TampaTheatre03.jpg File:Tampa Theatre 2013.jpg File:Tampa theater interior.jpg

References

External links

*
Maps and Aerial Photos
on Google Maps

from TBO.com
Tampa Theatre at flheritage.com
* * {{Authority control Cinemas and movie theaters in Florida National Register of Historic Places in Tampa, Florida Movie palaces John Eberson buildings Music venues in Florida Theatres in Tampa, Florida Theatres on the National Register of Historic Places in Florida Historic American Buildings Survey in Florida Atmospheric theatres 1926 establishments in Florida Nonprofit cinemas and movie theaters in the United States Public venues with a theatre organ