Florida Theatre facts for kids
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Exterior view of the venue's marquee (2016)
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| Address | 128 E Forsyth St Jacksonville, FL 32202-3366 |
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| Location | Downtown Jacksonville |
| Capacity | 1,900 |
| Construction | |
| Opened | April 8, 1927 |
| Reopened | 1983 |
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| Website | |
| Architectural style | Mediterranean Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 82001034 |
| Added to NRHP | November 4, 1982 |
The Florida Theatre is a famous movie theater in Jacksonville, Florida. It first opened its doors in April 1927. This historic building was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1982. In 2012, the AIA of Florida recognized it as one of the state's top architectural landmarks.
The Florida Theatre is special because it is one of only four grand movie palaces left in Florida. These theaters were built in the 1920s in a style called Mediterranean Revival. The other three are the Saenger Theatre in Pensacola, the Polk Theatre in Lakeland, and the Tampa Theatre in Tampa.
Contents
History of the Florida Theatre
How the Theatre Was Built
Construction on the Florida Theatre began in the summer of 1926. It was built by Southern Enterprises, Inc. The main architects were R. E. Hall & Co. and Roy A. Benjamin. They designed the theatre in the beautiful Mediterranean Revival architecture style.
The building was made to be seven stories tall and fireproof. It was meant to show movies and host live performances. Before the theatre, a police station and jail stood on this spot. They were torn down to make way for the new building.
Building the theatre took only one year. It opened to the public on April 8, 1927. When it first opened, the Florida Theatre was the largest theatre in Florida. The first night featured a live stage show and the film Let It Rain. The theatre was open all day, showing films, news, and live shows. In 1938, a roof garden was changed into offices.
Elvis Presley's Famous Visit
A very famous event happened at the Florida Theatre in 1956. Elvis Presley performed two shows there on August 10 and 11. Some leaders in Jacksonville were not happy about his performances.
A local judge, Marion Gooding, was ready to arrest Elvis. This was because of Elvis's dancing and how it affected young people. Judge Gooding and Elvis had a private talk. The judge warned Elvis that he would be arrested if he did not follow his rules. Elvis performed his show without any trouble from the police.
Saving and Restoring the Theatre
By the 1970s, the Florida Theatre was not doing well. It had to close on May 8, 1980. People realized how important the theatre was. Its history and unique architecture needed to be saved.
The State of Florida gave $500,000 to help. The City of Jacksonville added $350,000. Another $150,000 was raised by people who cared. On October 31, 1981, the Arts Assembly of Jacksonville bought the theatre. They paid $1 million.
The Arts Assembly immediately started to fix up the old building. They spent $5 million on the restoration. On December 28, 1982, the Florida Theatre was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. This helped protect it.
One year later, on August 26, 1983, the newly restored Florida Theatre reopened. It was ready for the public again. In 1987, the Florida Theatre became its own independent organization. Today, it is home to the Florida Ballet and Theatreworks. It also hosts the annual Community Nutcracker show.
See also
In Spanish: Teatro Florida (Estados Unidos) para niños
