Tampa Theatre: Historic venue celebrates 100th birthday after $24.5M restoration

TAMPA, Fla. - Tampa Theatre is ringing in its 100th birthday Thursday with a big celebration, marking the completion of seven months of renovations.

The auditorium has been closed since March for the first phase of the $24.5 million Second Century Campaign, a project aimed at preserving the beloved cultural hub before its centennial.  

The Theatre’s story

The backstory:

Tampa Theatre originally opened to the public on October 15, 1926, as a silent movie palace — where patrons could also escape the Florida heat and enjoy the city's first public building with air conditioning.

On Thursday, exactly 100 years later, the community is gathering to celebrate the legacy of the newly renovated Duncan Auditorium.

"When a patron walks into Tampa Theatre, we want that to be a 1926 experience," Jill Witecki, director of marketing for the Tampa Theatre, said. "We want them to see and feel exactly what our architect, John Eberson, intended back in the 20s, which was to overwhelm your senses and transport you out of your everyday life and everyday Tampa into a beautiful Mediterranean courtyard at night.

Look to the Stars

What we know:

As part of the extensive renovations, all of the auditorium’s paint and plaster was refreshed and brought back to its original colors.

Additionally, the theatre's hallmark atmospheric night sky ceiling was freshly painted. The stars overhead — which used to be individual light bulbs — have been replaced with modern fiber optics, bringing back a brighter, twinkling night sky.

Renovation teams also used original photos from 1926 to recreate and reinstall the flowering vines, trees, and lush foliage around the edges of the ceiling that had been lost over the last century.

Modern Upgrades Behind the Walls

Big picture view:

Meanwhile, the hidden infrastructure has been brought into the modern era.

The theatre overhauled its HVAC system and replaced the plumbing. They also installed brand-new sound and lighting systems.

"Most of what we do here at Tampa Theatre is movies, but we do do more and more live shows, live comedy, live music. And when those touring shows come into a building like ours, they are expecting a brand-new modern performing arts venue," Witecki said. "So our challenge each and every day at Tampa Theatre is to make sure that the patron experience is 1926, but the technical experience is 2026."

The birthday party

What's next:

Thursday’s 100th birthday party will also serve as a tribute to the community that made the milestone possible.

Fifty years ago, the Tampa Theatre was slated for demolition before the city and local citizens stepped in to rescue the landmark.

Funding for this renovation campaign came from donations and the City of Tampa Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA). According to the theater, this project is also sponsored in part by the Department of State, Division of Historical Resources and the State of Florida, and the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners. 

Thursday night’s celebration will feature the Mighty Wurlitzer Theatre Organ and a screening of the silent comedy Sherlock Jr. with live orchestra.

Tampa