Tampa Theatre is an important part of Tampa’s history and culture. It continues to be a popular place for concerts, movies, plays and other events. Select your desired event date, secure your seats and have a goood time at the Tampa Theatre. We hope that you will visit the theater soon!

Tampa Theatre is a historic, Spanish Renaissance-style movie palace located in the heart of downtown Tampa. It was designed by renowned theater architect John Eberson and opened on February 1, 1926. The cost of construction was $1.2 million, an enormous sum at the time. When it opened it had about 1600 seats with room for another 500 in the orchestra pit for live performances or ballroom dancing. Its pipe organ also had room for 100 players!

Tampa Theatre was built in 1926.

It was designed by architect Wesley Ruffner, and its construction cost $1.2 million at the time. The theatre’s exterior features Spanish Baroque architecture, while its interior is decorated with ornate chandeliers, gold leaf trimming and marble staircases.

The Tampa Theatre was commissioned by James A. McKay, who owned a cigar factory on the site where it now stands and also owned another nearby building that housed his cigar store and saloon (referred to as “McKay’s Hall”). McKay wanted to build a movie theater as part of his entertainment complex; however, he died before construction could begin on what would become Tampa Theatre (then known as “McKay’s Movie Palace”). His son-in-law Jules Bache took over ownership of both buildings after McKay’s death in 1925—and this is when construction began on Tampa Theatre itself!

Tampa Theatre Location

Tampa Theatre is an architectural jewel that attracts thousands of visitors every year.

You can’t miss Tampa Theatre when you’re walking around downtown Tampa. It’s a National Historic Landmark and it stands out with its massive marquee and red-and-white vertical stripes. The theater itself is beautiful, too—the inside features ornate plasterwork, chandeliers and frescoes.

The theater is one of only two theaters in the country with a pipe organ (the other being the Fox Theatre in Atlanta). When you visit see if you can spot it!

Tampa Theatre has been restored to its original condition, so you’ll feel like you’ve stepped back in time as soon as you walk through the doors. The main auditorium seats 1,400 people—it’s Florida’s largest single-screen theater!

Tampa Theatre was constructed in a time when theaters were an important part of American life.

Theaters were a place to socialize and catch up with friends, watch plays and musicals, listen to classical music or the latest jazz band. Many people went to the theater for education, too—to learn about science, history or literature on stage. People also went there for entertainment purposes such as vaudeville shows featuring comedic skits and song-and-dance routines.

Tampa Theatre was built during the Great Depression when movies began replacing live entertainment as America’s most popular pastime. Movies were cheap because they didn’t require elaborate costumes or sets like plays did; they could be shot quickly since they didn’t need an audience sitting around waiting for actors’ lines before they could say their own lines; plus you could go by yourself without having to sit next someone who might not appreciate your laugh at all times (i.e., if your friend falls asleep during a show).

The cost of building Tampa Theatre was $1.2 million, an enormous sum at the time.

At the time, it was the most expensive theater ever built, costing $1.2 million—an enormous sum at the time. But it was also a good investment: The cost of constructing Tampa Theatre was covered by donations and ticket sales. The theater’s opening night drew a crowd of more than 10,000 people who were eager to see what all the fuss was about.

The construction of Tampa Theatre took place during an era when movie theaters were still an important part of American life. In fact, they were so popular that some cities even had multiple theaters where you could go watch films on different nights and take in shows from different genres all under one roof!

The theater has a large pipe organ that was first played on opening night in 1926 and continues to be played several times per week.

The pipe organ at the Tampa Theatre is a large instrument that can be played with both hands. Only one musician is required to play the organ, but they must move quickly between different rows of pipes to produce different sounds.

The first time this pipe organ was played was on opening night in 1926. Since then, it has been used several times per week by either students or professional musicians who volunteer their time to play at no cost to the theater or its patrons. In addition to providing entertainment for attendees of special events such as silent films and concerts, these performances also help keep this historic landmark alive by promoting interest in its history and continued existence as a cultural hub for residents of Tampa Bay area communities like St Petersburg FL 33702

Tampa Theatre is a beautiful historic building with a rich history

As a movie theater, it’s not the most modern facility. There are no stadium seats, digital projectors or state-of-the-art sound systems. But Tampa Theatre is a historic building with a rich history and just happens to have one of the best reputations among Tampa Bay’s movie theaters.

The first show at Tampa Theatre took place on August 8, 1926 — which makes this year its 90th birthday! It was designed by famed architect Carl G. Fischer and built by Henry M. Williams for $250,000 ($3 million today). The original 1920s design was inspired by Italian Renaissance architecture with Egyptian columns and Baroque touches such as gold leaf trim throughout the interior walls.