Saenger Theatre (Pensacola, Florida) facts for kids
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| Address | 118 South Palafox Place Pensacola, Florida United States |
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| Owner | City of Pensacola |
| Operator | ASM Global |
| Capacity | 1,641 |
| Opened | 1925 |
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Saenger Theatre
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 Location in Florida
Location in the United States
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Architect | Emile Weil |
| Architectural style | Spanish Baroque architecture |
| NRHP reference No. | 76000596 |
| Added to NRHP | July 19, 1976 |
The Saenger Theatre is a very old and special building in Pensacola, Florida. It's a place where people have enjoyed movies and live shows for many years. You can find it at 118 South Palafox Place. Because of its history, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places on July 19, 1976. This means it's recognized as an important historical site in the country.
In 1989, the Saenger Theatre was even featured in a book called A Guide to Florida's Historic Architecture. This book highlights important buildings across Florida.
Contents
History of the Saenger Theatre
The Saenger Theatre is often called the Grand Dame of Palafox. This nickname means it's like a grand old lady of the street it's on.
Building Design and Construction
The theatre was first built in 1925. A famous architect named Emile Weil designed it. He chose a style called Spanish Baroque architecture. This style was picked because Pensacola has a long and rich Spanish history. Mr. Weil also designed other theatres in places like Mobile, Alabama, and New Orleans and Shreveport in Louisiana.
Construction of the Saenger Theatre began at 118 South Palafox. It officially opened its doors in 1925. Some of the bricks used for the back of the theatre came from the old Pensacola Opera House. That opera house was destroyed in a hurricane in 1916. Building the Saenger Theatre cost about $500,000. The C.H. Turner Company were the main builders.
Special Features of the Theatre
The Saenger Theatre had many amazing features when it first opened. It included a special Robert Morton organ, which is currently being fixed up. There were also 2,250 comfortable leather-backed seats. The theatre was decorated with beautiful, fancy chandeliers. It even used more than eight pounds of silver for its large silver screen. The Saenger also had a very advanced projector for its time.
Grand Opening Day
The doors to the Saenger Theatre first opened on April 2, 1925. The grand opening began with "The Star-Spangled Banner." Then, a local dance class performed the "Dance of Old Seville." A community member also sang a solo. The main event of the day was a movie called The Ten Commandments. The theatre was completely sold out for its first day.
Entertainment Through the Years
The Saenger Theatre has hosted many different kinds of entertainment. In its early days, it showed silent movies. Later, it showed movies with sound. Live Vaudeville acts and Broadway shows were also very popular. Local performers were often invited to show their talents at the Saenger.
During World War II, the theatre stayed open all day and night. This allowed people to watch newsreels whenever they wanted. Newsreels were short films that showed current events and war updates.
Challenges and Renovations
As time went on, the Saenger Theatre became less popular. New drive-in movie theaters and other entertainment options appeared. Because of this, the grand theatre slowly started to fall apart. Like many other large movie houses, the Saenger suffered from a lack of interest.
In 1975, the Saenger Theatre sadly closed its doors. However, it was not forgotten. The theatre was given to the City of Pensacola. The city worked with the University of West Florida to bring the theatre back to its original beautiful state. In 1981, the Saenger had its first grand re-opening. The famous "The Duke Ellington Orchestra," a well-known jazz group, performed that night.
More recently, the theatre went through another big renovation. This project cost over $15 million. The goal was to make the stage bigger and enlarge the dressing rooms. The seating was also made more spacious and comfortable for visitors. This second grand re-opening happened on March 26, 2009, with a performance of "Jesus Christ Superstar."
Today, the Saenger Theatre is still in its original spot. It continues to offer many different types of entertainment, just like it did in its early days.
See also
Gallery
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The Saenger Theatre in Pensacola.
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A view of the Saenger Theatre.
